Falling Inside Myself
by Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo
Summary: Hichigo Shirosaki has had one too many bad things happen in his life, and his body is slowly paying the price. Then he meets Ichigo Kurosaki. Ichigo wants to help him...but how can you help someone that's falling into himself? Yaoi angst! Crappy summary
1. Chapter 1

Authoress Drabble~!

Ok, warning to all! This next fanfic is very…horrible. I am going to dig deep down into some really bad shit here. If you no like, then you no read. I mean, there's gonna be heavy angst, emoness, and other shit that makes this fic horribly good and depressing. I just wanna know, that if anyone is insulted by this fic, lemme know and I shall stop it. With all that said, here's Chapter 1 of Falling Inside Myself.

* * *

Chapter 1

Hichigo Shirosaki walked slowly and cautiously down a dark alley. He was completely dressed in black, shivering as a cold wind blew past. _Gotta get to the store quickly…_he told himself. As he ran, trying to avoid being seen, he heard a fight off in the distance. He wanted to avoid it, but the small voice inside him told him to check it out, that someone was hurt. As he ran towards the fighting, he heard a sharp cry.

"Agh!" He quickly hid behind a huge dumpster, waiting for the sounds to cease. The cry came again this time a little louder and full of pain. Then…nothing. He heard footsteps walk the opposite direction. When he looked around the corner, he saw someone laying limply on the sidewalk. He slowly walked up towards the limp person and knelt down. The person had bright orange hair and the same school outfit that Hichigo had once worn, but now it was filthy and small spots of blood could be seen on it.

_This is bad…_he thought, feeling panic rise in his chest. He rolled the person over carefully and stared in shock. His face was an exact copy of his own, only he had more of a tan. _He's_ _almost like…_he could feel an itching sensation on his wrists and shook his head. _No…not now…_ He slowly lifted the teen up, only to hear a soft moan of pain. _Must have cracked ribs or something…_ he thought. _Well…I can't leave him here…guess the store can wait…_

* * *

When he finally reached the old garage store he called home, he walked in and placed the unconscious teen on the mattress that rested on the floor. He ran to the bathroom and grabbed a washcloth and soaked it and headed back to the room. Hichigo then quickly unbutton the teen's shirt to check for any wounds. His black gloves made it hard for him to make a proper checkup, and just when he thought he could remove them, the teen stirred. _Damnit…_

* * *

Ichigo opened his eyes slowly, squinting at the bright light from above. _Wait…a light?_ He wondered. The last thing he remembered before he was knocked out was a bunch of people cornering him on the winter streets. _When did I…_

"Ah, you're awake." Ichigo looked up slowly to see someone completely covered in black. He had a black hoodie on, a hat on underneath the pulled up hood. He was wearing thick, dark sunglasses and had black gloves on, a black scarf covered up his face. He also wore black socks with his black sneakers, completely covering every inch of skin on his body. "I'm glad. When I found you on the street like that…"

"It-it's nothing. I'm used to being confronted because of my hair." He said quickly, feeling bad about staring at the oddly dressed stranger.

"So you're hair's natural?" the stranger asked, his voice muffled by his scarf. "That's interesting…"

"Yeah, and annoying. I'll be fine now, thank you." He said. As Ichigo tried to get up, a sharp pain filled his chest and he breathed in sharply, falling back down.

"Hey, stay still, will ya?" The teen said, pushing on Ichigo's shoulders gently. "I haven't finished checking the extent of the damage here." When Ichigo looked down again, he noticed his shirt was unbuttoned and raised a wary eyebrow at him.

"Oh really?" he asked. The stranger flinched a little and scratched the back of his neck nervously. "How do I know you weren't with them?"

"If I was apart of the group beating you up, why in hell would I bother bringing you here and not just leavening your ass on the side of the cold streets?" he asked harshly. Ichigo could feel the stranger's glare from behind the glasses and looked down.

"Sorry for jumping to conclusions there." He said. The teen sighed and finished removing Ichigo's shirt.

"Don't worry about it, I'm used to it…" he whispered, a hint of sadness and regret in his tone. Ichigo could tell there was a huge story behind it, but when the rough gloves slowly traced a spot of his chest, he gasped in pain.

"Gyah!" he couldn't hold back the cry.

"That's a nasty bruise there." He said. A dark, purple and black spot was growing on Ichigo's chest and he hissed when the stranger pushed on it again.

"Ngh…can ya stop that? I think you can tell something's wrong…" Ichigo said. The stranger walked away from him just for a moment before returning with a small bottle.

"I need a better check." He said.

"Maybe it'd help if you removed those bulky gloves." Ichigo mumbled. The figure froze, looking down at his gloves.

"Yes…but-"

"But what? Look, I don't care if you're missing fingers or what, but there's no need to hide your appearance from me. I'm not exactly in the position to pick on peoples appearances as it is." Ichigo said. The stranger sighed and looked at him.

"Do you…promise not to laugh or…or tell anyone?" he asked, so quietly Ichigo wasn't sure if he heard him at first. But he nodded anyways. "Ok then…" He slowly removed the gloves, revealing pale white hands and black fingernails. When he reached down, Ichigo shivered as his cold hands traced the large bruise. When he pressed down lightly, the same tight pain shot through his chest when he had tried getting up earlier.

"Gh...D-damnit…" he hissed.

"Like I thought; cracked ribs. You need a doctor. Good thing there's a clinic about three blocks away." He said.

"D-duh. I live there…" Ichigo grumbled. The teen stared at him.

"You're…Dr. Kurosaki's son?" he asked. Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. And…you?" The teen looked down and slowly slid the hood off and removed his hat, revealing pure, snow white hair. He then removed his glasses, revealing golden eyes surrounded by black. He locked his multi colored eyes with Ichigo's chocolate ones.

"My name's…Hichigo Shirosaki." He said quietly. "But you can call me Shiro."

* * *

Shiro noticed Ichigo's funny stares and quickly turned away. "Sorry if…the way I look disturbs you."

"Why would you say that your looks disturb me? I told you, didn't I? I have no right to pick on anyone's appearance. No one should have the right in the first place." Ichigo said. Hichigo quickly grabbed the bottle and pulled out a small pill.

"Here, take this, it'll help with the pain." He said, not meeting Ichigo's eyes. "But you'll probably be drowsy." Ichigo sighed and popped the pill in his mouth. "I'm going to the clinic to get your dad. He needs t know you're ok and everything."

"Hey…thanks by the way." Ichigo said, his eyes already feeling heavy. _Damn…that stuff's fast…_ he thought. Shiro looked at him, a small shocked look on his face. "Who knows what would've happened to me if you didn't come along…"

_No one's…actually thanked me for anything before…_he thought. He shook his head and quickly put his gloves back on and pulled his hood up, wrapping his scarf back around his neck. "N-no problem Ichigo. I'll…uhh…tell your dad what state you're in. You'll need to lay here for a few days. I hope you don't mind…" Ichigo slowly shook his head, sighing heavily.

"Not…not at all…" he mumbled. Shiro watched as he yawned and fell asleep. He turned away and walked out the door, closing it quickly so that none of the cold would get in. He walked down the darkened streets, his mind elsewhere, but mostly on the orange head back at his home. _He looks like him…acts like him too…_he thought, a tight feeling rising in his chest. His wrists itched again and he resisted the urge to scratch them. _He saw me…_ he told himself, but his wrists itched even more, almost to the point where they burned. _Right…maybe then he sees ghosts…I still don't know…if he can actually see me…_ As he saw the clinic appear in his vision, he sighed. _No...i don't exsist...at least, now i don't...but later I will...later..._

Chapter 1 end

Sound good? Sound bad? Please, share your creative insights with me~! I also heard that if you press the button, you'll learn the real reason why the rum is always gone! XD


	2. Chapter 2

Response to reviews~!

Tiana Misoro: Glad ya found it then!

herRhi-chan: Glad you enjoyed it so far!

Kai and Umiki: Wow, you're new! Glad you like it, and I promise to hurry!

Uzamaki9999: You shall see…and that is quite the early time for you to be up! XD

Miszxbrii: You shall understand soon…*says in an evil tone*

Angelchan2012: I have no idea! XD And I shall continue~!

Ok, seeing as no one seems offended by this story, it shall continue! XD Well, I know the first chapter didn't reveal much, and I have no idea how long this one's gonna be. Let's find out, neh? Here's Chapter 2!

* * *

Chapter 2

Hichigo slowly opened the door to the clinic, glancing around. "Hello? Is Mr. Kurosaki in?" he called into the room. A short, blonde haired girl ran past the door, carrying supplies and stopped when she saw him.

"Uh…hello there! May I help you?" she asked. Hichigo walked in slowly and looked at her.

"Yes, is Mr. Kurosaki here? I need to speak with him about Ichigo." The little girls eyes widened in shock.

"Y-you know where Ichigo is?" she asked. He nodded and she placed the tray on a small table, running into another room. "Dad! Someone's here who knows where Ichigo is!" Suddenly, a tall man came running into the entrance, his brown eyes scanning Hichigo almost furiously.

"You…you know where he is?" he asked, walking really close to him. Hichigo nodded, backing away slightly to create some space.

_He's too…close._ He thought, feeling uneasy by the man's gaze. "Yes…he was…uhh…attacked on the street. I took him back to where I'm staying. He has some cracked ribs I believe, so…the normal thing would be for him to stay there for a day, but if you really want to, I can help-" He was suddenly hugged by the man and could feel his entire body stiffen in the tight hold.

"I'm glad he's safe. Thank you for helping him." The man said. Hichigo cleared his throat and the man backed away. "I'm his father, Isshin Kurosaki. You can call me Isshin." He said. Hichigo nodded briskly, wanting to get back home. "You are…?"

"Hichigo Shirosaki, but everyone calls me Shiro." He replied quietly. Isshin scanned him again and he squirmed a little under his gaze. What is he looking for? Why is he staring at me like this? He wondered.

"Well, I'll give you some pain medication for him, but yes, he needs to stay still for a day or two. But I'm warning you, he won't like it." Isshin said. Hichigo shrugged.

"I'll handle it." He replied. Isshin nodded and walked away to go get the medicine. The small blonde haired girl was staring at him and he shifted in his place. "Wh…what is it girl?" he asked.

"You…look different." She said quietly. "I've never actually seen an albino before." Hichigo noticed how she looked away after saying that. "Sorry for staring. I'm Yuzu, Ichigo's sister. My twin sister, Karin, is upstairs watching T.V." she said. Hichigo nodded, but wasn't really paying attention to her. He was doing his best to ignore the itching sensation on his wrists, and she was helping a little, but it was growing, trying to tell him something.

_I need to get back…_he thought. Isshin came walking back in, carrying pain medication and some ice packs.

"If he has any bruises, put these on them and the swelling should die down somewhat." He said. Hichigo nodded and raised his hand to his wrist subconsciously. Isshin looked down and he quickly put his hand back down. "Your wrist injured?" he asked. Hichigo quickly shook his head and took the supplies from him.

"N-not at all. Just a small itch." He said just as quickly. Isshin nodded and he sighed _Too close…_

"Well, if you ever need my help, just let me know. You never know how you could get hurt out there." Hichigo could feel his blood freeze at those words.

Does _he know?_ He began to wonder. Isshin smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Consider it my thanks for helping my son. He has a tendency to get into trouble, whether he starts it or not." He said. Hichigo tore his gaze away and looked at the door.

_I need to leave…_he thought, getting even more desperate. "You're…too kind. But I'll be fine, ok?" he said. Isshin nodded and watched as Hichigo headed towards the door.

"True, but something tells me you're _not_ fine. But thank you all the same." He said. Hichigo shook his head and ran out the door, heading back to the garage.

* * *

Ichigo couldn't ignore the pain in his chest. _How the hell am I going to explain this to my dad?_ He wondered. The medicine he had been given had worn off an hour ago, and he was now awake and staring at the ceiling. Now that he wasn't tired, he had sat up, just a little, to see his surroundings. _I'm in the old car garage place…but it's surprisingly warm. He must have bought a heater or something…_he thought. He could hear the door swing open and shut and Hichigo walked briskly in.

"I've got some things from your dad." He called as he laid the stuff on a small counter.

"Oh yeah, like what, my life's story?" he asked, and Hichigo chuckled.

"No, just some pain medication, ice packs, and one killer hug." Ichigo laughed.

"Lemme guess, you got it when you told him I was ok, right?" Hichigo walked in the room carrying an ice pack and nodded. He sighed as Hichigo unbuttoned his shirt again and removed the wet paper towel from the big bruise. "That's just like him. He worries about me every ten minutes."

_Consider yourself lucky…_Hichigo thought. He placed the ice pack on the bruise and Ichigo let in a quick breath.

"Ow…that really fucking stings…" he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Well, it's going to for awhile." Hichigo stood back up and grabbed one of the pain medication pills and handed it to Ichigo. "Your dad said that when I got back that you had to take one every two hours." Ichigo rolled his eyes and popped the pill in his mouth.

"The last thing I want is to sleep all the damned time." He grumbled. Hichigo walked back from the small bathroom with a cup of water. He handed it to Ichigo who swallowed the pill and gulped the water down. "But…I guess I have no choice; doctor's orders. Ugh…why does my dad have to be a doctor anyways?" Hichigo smiled at his stubborn attitude.

_He's just like him…stubborn, no matter what…_he thought. Flashes of someone appeared in his mind and pushed them away, shaking his head. _No…not now…wait…_he told himself. "Just quit complaining and get some sleep. I'll make sure to get something to eat in the morning." He said. Ichigo nodded, his eyes already drooping again.

"I…really hate pain killers…" he sighed and his head rolled onto the side of the pillow, his eyes closing and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Hichigo walked into the office section of the old warehouse where another mattress lay next to the wall. _Guess I'll sleep here this time…_he thought. He walked into the small office bathroom and splashed water on his face. He slowly unwrapped the white bandages that blended in almost perfectly with his pale skin. He hissed as he peeled them away, revealing large, red scars, still fresh.

_Damn…must be sensitive to the gauze…_he thought. He reached down into a drawer and pulled out an old, rusty barber's razor and held it against his other wrist. _I need to know…do I still exist…or am I a spirit…not even visible…_he told himself and then he pulled it across his skin. He winced as it cut his flesh, warm blood trickling down his pale white skin and into the sink. He repeated the process once…twice…three times before he stopped, his wrists stinging and crying out at the abuse. _Yes…I still do…I'm not a ghost…_he sighed. He rinsed the razor off and tossed it back in the drawer. He then took an old washcloth and put some soap on it, then gently pressed it against his new scars. He hissed as the soap entered the scars, adding onto the pain. He held it firmly before slowly removing it and tossing it aside. He reached up and grabbed more gauze put some disinfectant on it before tightly wrapping his wrists up.

He hissed again as it entered the scars, holding it down to make sure it stayed. He then repeated the process with his other wrist, replacing the old, soiled gauze with fresh ones. _They're getting worse…_he thought. He sighed and slid onto the bed, pulling the old, torn blankets. _He looks and acts like you…Kaien…_he thought. _Tell me…is this your revenge? Is this my punishment…for what happened to you?_ He closed his black and gold eyes, tears prickling them and falling onto his pillow. _Existing…it just isn't worth much anymore…if I'm forced to suffer…or make others suffer…it just isn't worth it…_

* * *

Ichigo stared into the darkness as Hichigo made muffled noises from his room. _Is Shiro…crying?_ He wondered. _I hope nothing's wrong…_ He couldn't help but flinch whenever he remembered his gaze. It was like Ichigo was a ghost, or Shiro had been seeing a ghost from his past. Ichigo could feel worry crawl up his chest and he shook his head. _I've only known him for a few hours, and I already feel bad about something…_he sighed. He didn't want to think about it anymore; he turned onto his side and closed his eyes, falling asleep in seconds, the only sound being Hichigo's muffled crying.

* * *

Chapter 2 end

I hope I portrayed the situation well this time…XD Oh, did you know, if pushed this little button here, in three days, the person you hate the most will bow and do your bidding for a year? Give it a shot! XD


	3. Chapter 3

Response to reviews!

Kai and Umiki: Oh great, you're just like Chibiussa and Yukiko now, eh? DX Well, I can handle it! Sorry, I thought it was you, but on Fanfiction, you can never tell!

Angelchan2012: I do this all the time! XD Maybe you should read my stories more often~! Kidding! You don't have to if you don't want to!

Tiana Misoro: You're always in a random mood….XD

Miszxbrii: I know, right! I had to put him in here. And wow…he gave you a sandwich, I hope it isn't poisoned…DX

herRhi-chan: O.o….curiosity…who do you hate the most? XD And thanks!

Aira-chan: Oh…well, I will update now! XD

Ok, so no one's upset? Good! Let's keep on trucking! Here's Chapter 3! Oh, and as an FYI, I do not have any experience of the things going on in this story, got it? Ok…just clearing that up!

* * *

Chapter 3

Hichigo sighed as his cell phone alarm clock blared to life. He looked at the time. _6:30 AM…better get ready for work…_he thought. He slowly stood up, rubbing his weary, golden eyes. As he pushed himself up off the bed, his wrists stung and he took a quick breath. _Damnit…gotta hide them…_he thought. He ran to his bathroom and turned on his small shower. As he let the water heat up, he slowly removed the gauze bandages, assessing the self-inflicted cuts. They were still sticky and red, but otherwise they had stopped bleeding. He pressed down on them lightly and could feel pain shoot up his arms. _I'm still here…_he sighed. He climbed into the hot shower, letting the water scald his skin and knock the rest of the sleep out of his head.

After his shower, he grabbed his black and red t-shirt and matching hat and put on his black pants. Before he left, he quickly wrote a small note and, quietly, snuck in where Ichigo was sleeping and placed it next to him on a small table. As he left, he turned to look at the sleeping teen and he froze. He had a peaceful look on his face, the scowl he had seen from chatting with him earlier gone. His bright, orange hair seemed to glow in the dark room, as if it had its own, natural light. _He's…not that bad…_he thought and quickly shook his head. _Forget it Hichigo…why in hell would he want you? In fact…why would _anyone_ want you anymore? _He grabbed his thick winter coat and headed towards the convenient store where he worked.

* * *

Ichigo squinted as soft, early morning sunlight filtered through the windows. "Ugh…" he felt like shit, his chest still in pain, but not as much as earlier. _Maybe I don't hate pain killers so much after all…_he thought and chuckled. _Nah, can't think like I'm addicted to the shit… _He slowly sat up, the pain now a dull throb in his chest. He saw a small flutter in the corner of his eye and he turned to see a small piece of paper on the table next to him. Hr grabbed it and glanced at the writing;

_Ichigo,_

_Take the medicine and do your best not to move around too much; I don't want to pick your sorry ass up off the floor and have you stay here any longer than necessary. I'll be back home at about noon._

_Shiro._

_Does he think he can talk like that and order me around?_ He thought, crushing the note in his hand. He winced as pain filled his chest. _Shit…guess I gotta be ordered around, since I'm here…_he thought. He slowly rose to his feet, grabbing the small bottle and slowly walked to the bathroom. He popped the pills in his mouth and gulped down a glass of water to help the nasty white pill down. _Ugh…disgusting…_he grumbled and slowly walked out of the bathroom. He looked around and chuckled slightly as he saw the garage part of the building. There was practically a kitchen and a laundry room all in one, the two office parts subbing as bedrooms.

_He has a nice touch…so I know he isn't dirt poor…_he thought. But still, the fact that he was living in a garage store and in the middle of winter couldn't be a good thing. Although his mind was more than willing to explore, his body was telling him to lay back down until Hichigo came back. Giving in to his body's complaints, he slowly walked back to the mattress he had woken on and closed his eyes. _Wonder when he'll be back exactly?_ He thought. As he sat there and thought for a second, he realized that he had heard his name before. _Why does it sound so familiar? Hichigo Shirosaki…_

* * *

"Hey Shiro! You have to help me out some over here~!" Hichigo rolled his eyes as Rangiku called for help from the left end of the cashier counter.

_God, convenient stores suck…_ he sighed as he walked over to her. She turned to him, her bright brown hair flying backwards in its ponytail. "What do you need this time Rangiku?" he asked.

"Oh, I need you to take these orders cause I have to use the restroom!" she said rather loudly. Some of the customers gave her a funny stare and Hichigo smacked his forehead.

"Can't you wait for a few minutes more?" he asked, already noticing the small line showing up at his register. _On second thought; this job sucks in the morning…_

"But I started~!" she replied, once again rather loudly. "I need to change my-"

"Rangiku! That's enough info here!" Hichigo turned and sighed as Uryu walked in the store, here to relieve him of his job. It was almost noon after all.

_Time sure does crawl when I work early, especially when Rangiku is with me…_he thought.

"You're freaking all of the customers out." He continued. Rangiku gave him a confused look before turning at the now long and confused line in front of her register.

"Heh, sorry folks!" she called. "I'll work right now!" Hichigo turned around to face Uryu.

"Thanks Uryu. I have no idea how long I was going to be able to stand her." He said. Uryu shrugged and pushed his glasses up slowly.

"Don't worry about it Hichigo." He said and he rolled his eyes. Uryu was the _only_ person that still called him by his first name. It pissed him off, but it was just the kind of person Uryu was; in fact, you could say they both took turns being the king of pissing others off. "It's not my fault the genius here has trouble handling one girl." Hichigo laughed at the comment.

"You know very well why I can't handle girls." He said. "Besides…it's not my fault I graduated two years before you." It was true; Hichigo was a genius, literally. He skipped two grades and graduated early, and he was just as old as Uryu and Rangiku, who were in their second to last years of high school. He walked out from behind the counter and looked at the shelves, grabbing a few snack items and some milk.

"So true, but c'mon, no need to shove it in our faces~!" Rangiku whined as the lines died away. Hichigo just looked at her and huffed.

"Maybe if you studied more, you wouldn't be behind in school." He said, grabbing another gallon of milk. _Since I have another mouth to feed other than my own…_he told himself. I wonder if he likes white or chocolate…

"Yeah, well, you're the smartass Shiro! Why don't cha help me out some, eh?" Rangiku said.

"We've already discussed this Rangiku; only if ya pay me hourly." He smiled at her pout as she walked back to take care of another customer. He gave the milk one more thought before shrugging and grabbing one more of each and some orange juice. He then walked up to the counter where Uryu was finishing opening up and waited.

"Wow, a little more than usual; do ya have a party I don't know about going on?" Uryu asked.

"Yeah; only gays allowed. Sorry Uryu, bi's don't count." He replied sarcastically, snickering at the glare he received. "No, but I do have an…unexpected guest as it were."

"You've always been a little too nice Hichigo." He said as he rang up Hichigo's items. "Who is it?"

"His name's Ichigo Kurosaki. He wears the same uniform we wear, so I'm guessing he's from our school." He said. Rangiku turned to look at the two.

"Ichi? Really? Is he ok?" she asked suddenly, running from the counter and grabbing Hichigo's shoulders. "Well?"

"S-some cracked ribs, but nothing to serious. He's going home tomorrow." He said. "I'm just buying all of this just in case, ya know?" Rangiku sighed and released him.

"Whew, well, tell him we said hi! And that our English project got moved up to Wednesday." She said. Hichigo nodded as he paid for his stuff and grabbed the plastic bag. Uryu watched as he left and sighed. "Do you think he'll be ok Uryu? He seemed a little…tense today." She asked, sticking a piece of gum in her mouth.

"He's never seen Ichigo before, and since he looks like…well, you-know-who…it must have been a shock." Rangiku nodded as she popped her gum.

"I just hope it wasn't too much of a shock…" she whispered as she headed back to her register. Uryu nodded and relished in the silence…until Rangiku looked at him. "Please Uryu~! I need to change this pa-"

"GO ALREADY BEFORE YOU DRIVE _ME_ CRAZY!" he yelled. She just pouted, popped her gum again and ran off to the bathroom. _Heh, guess it's my turn to piss people off this week…_he thought.

* * *

As Hichigo then left the large grocery store, he felt like his arms were about to fall off. His wrists stung as he carried more than he should have, and he dropped a bag at least twice before he managed to get home. _Damn winter weather…_he thought as he placed two bags between his teeth and opened the door. He was met by Ichigo, standing up and putting his coat on.

"Wft th ff arf fu doif?" he asked with the bags still in his teeth. Ichigo gave him a confused stare and he rolled his golden eyes, placing the bags on the ground, his wrists aching as well as his arms. "I said what the fuck are you doing?" he asked again.

"I'm leaving, what else does it look like?" he said. He didn't make five steps before Hichigo simply pushed his shoulders and knocked him back into the mattress.

"No way in hell are you leaving yet!" Hichigo said. "You aren't well enough yet. Wait until tomorrow after I get back from work. You're clinic is at least an hour's walk from here." he said. Ichigo struggled to get back up, but his chest practically screamed 'agony!' and he fell back down.

_But…I want to leave…._he thought. Ever since he had ended up here and met Hichigo, he had been feeling like he should leave…that something bad was going to happen. But he wasn't sure what was going to happen, or even if this feeling was actually there and wasn't an after affect from the pain killers. But there was another feeling…small and distant, but it was there, and he had no idea what it was. That fact worried him a little. Or was it because of the crying he had heard the other night?

"Are you listening?" Hichigo's sudden yell snapped him from his thoughts. "I said that you only have to wait one more day, than you can fucking go home!" Ichigo was shocked by his sudden outburst.

"Sh-Shiro?" He asked quietly. He had only just met him, and he could already tell that these outbursts weren't normal for him, especially when a shocked look crossed his face.

"N-never mind Ichigo…" he said, calming down. "Look I know I just helped you out and I really don't know you…I'm sorry for that." He said and turned around to walk out of the office. "If you really think you can leave, I won't force you to stay or anything like that. Oh, and by the way…" he then turned and gave him a sad smile. "Rangiku and Uryu said hi." He then proceeded to walk back to his bathroom.

* * *

Ichigo sat there, slightly dumbfounded. _What the hell was that all about?_ he wondered. _He just up and exploded at me… _He remembered the look in Hichigo's eyes. They had appeared scared, upset, but mostly, rejected. _Why would he feel rejected? I didn't do anything! _He remembered what he had told him before walking out. _He knows Rangiku and Uryu?_ That was when it snapped. _Wait! That's why I recognize his name!_

* * *

Three years ago…

"No way! He's in the hospital?" Rangiku gasped as Ichigo walked into class.

"Yeah, they said that he hurt himself really bad this time!" Keigo, a rather annoying boy with brown hair and eyes said.

"Hey guys, what's so interesting over here?" He asked as he sat on his desk, putting his bag next to it on the floor.

"Hichigo Shirosaki got beat really badly, raped even!" Keigo exclaimed. Ichigo only gave him a confused stare.

"Who?"

"Hichigo works at the same store me and Uryu do." Rangiku explained. "He's a really smart kid; genius! He graduated two years before us, and he's as old as we are!" she exclaimed. He rolled his eyes.

"And what happened?" he asked.

"Well, ya see, Shiro, that's what he wants everyone to call him, is an albino, and gay to top it off." Keigo said. "So it normally gets him a lot of unwanted attention, but this…this was bad. He ended up getting raped and beat really badly…poor guy."

"Yeah, I heard that he won't be able to leave for at least a week!" Rangiku said.

"Why are people even picking on him? I'm gay and my hair's bright orange for Christ's sake!" he asked. The idea that someone was being beaten just because of their sexuality…it disgusted him. They just shrugged.

"Only Shiro knows that one." Ichigo turned to see Uryu pop up from behind them, causing Rangiku to squeal.

"Don't _do_ that Uryu~! You almost scared my boobs out of my uniform!" Rangiku said. Ichigo fought the urge to laugh. "Well, I'm gonna ask him!" she said, quickly changing back to the subject at hand.

"No you won't. Not only will he not answer you, but he doesn't need to be reminded of anything else bad." Uryu said. Ichigo looked out the window.

_Wonder what actually happened?_ He thought.

* * *

Hichigo sat in the bathroom as the new scars stung. They were a little higher than his left wrist, and a little more jagged and deeper. He quickly wrapped them up, this time not even putting on disinfectant, tossed the razor in the drawer and plopped onto his bed. _Why? Every time…no matter what I do…I am rejected, ignored, or even shunned…_he told himself. He buried his head under the covers to block out the sunlight. _Why…why does this happen Kaien? Please tell me…_Instead, the door to his room creaked open.

"Shiro?" He flinched at Ichigo's soft tone. "I know you're not asleep." He said.

"Whatever happened to leaving?" Hichigo snapped angrily. The _last thing I want for you to do…_he told himself. He wasn't sure why…but part of him already loved the teen that was now sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Look, I remember hearing Rangiku talk about what happened three years ago…so I forgot that you could actually relate. No one was there to help you then…and yet you're still trying to help me. Sorry about that."

_Why is he apologizing? He didn't even do anything!_ Hichigo thought, but kept his mouth shut. Ichigo sat there, staring at the snow white hair peeking out from under the covers. He surprised himself by slowly reaching out for it and stroking it. Hichigo's body stiffened when he leaned in real close to his hair.

"Thank you…for helping me Shiro." He said and kissed his hair gently. "And to let ya know…I'm in the same boat. I'm also gay." He then got up and left the room. Hichigo shot up as his door shut.

_What…what was that all about?_ he wondered. His face turned pink slightly as he felt his head. _Did…did he just…kiss me?_

* * *

Ichigo could feel his face burning with his blush. _What the fuck am I thinking?_ He thought. _I just met him and I already tried to…to kiss him! _He laid back down on the mattress and buried his face in his pillow. _No, it's the medication. I don't...have special feelings for him…not already… _But his mind trailed back to how soft his hair had felt against his hand, his lips…and it sent a weird feeling through his body. _I can't be in love with a guy I barely know…can I? _

* * *

Chapter 3 end

So…am I moving to quickly? Or is this ok? Go ahead and tell me! If you click the button, your fave book will become a movie…and you pick who plays who! XD


	4. Chapter 4

Response to reviews!

Miszxbrii: Yep, I live to make 'em suffer! XD

Strawberry-Ringo: I'm glad ya want to follow it! Confusion is something I like stirring up!

Tiana Misoro: You tell him, Tiana! 8D As for it being you're addiction, I have three words for ya; Good for you! XD

X-Ulquiorra-X: Thank you! *bows*

Kai and Umiki: He may be acting like that, but who cares? XD

xXx-SeMe-ChAn-xXx: I'll join ya on that one!

hehehehehohoProductions0: I know…just building up the angst!

Ok, I know I'm going a little fast, but just bear with me, ok? Isn't fun if they have the feelings for each other but they don't know how the other feels? Well, here's Chapter 4~!

Chapter 4

* * *

Ichigo woke up to the sound of the door opening. He looked up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes to see Hichigo grab a cup and the orange juice he bought, fixing himself a cup. "Morning…" he said. Ichigo watched as he fished for another cup. "Do ya like orange juice, chocolate or white milk?" he asked.

"White please." He said, slowly pushing himself off the bed. He was surprised when his chest no longer hurt so much; it was now just a dull throb. "Hey, are ya some kind of medical whiz?" he asked.

"What do ya mean Ichigo?" Hichigo asked, pouring the cup of milk and handing it to him.

"Well, you said I wouldn't be able to leave until, well today, and my chest is better." Hichigo laughed.

"No, I'm not so smart that I can predict when you'll heal up. It's just…" Ichigo watched as his grip tightened slightly on his cup. "Well, if you haven't noticed, we look an awful lot alike, and I've suffered similar injuries, so it was just a guess." He explained. Ichigo sighed as the room fell silent.

_Ok, like this isn't awkward at all…_he thought. It was then he had an idea. "Hey, you're not working today, are you?" he asked. Hichigo looked at him and shook his head.

"No, why?" he asked curiously.

"Well, if you want, and you don't _have_ to, you can come to my house for dinner." He said, or more like mumbled. Hichigo stared at him. "I mean, I'm not forcing you or anything. It's just, I owe ya, and this is really all I can think of." He explained hurriedly.

"No, you don't owe me at all!" he said, patting Ichigo's back. "I'll…uh, think about it." He answered. Ichigo sighed.

_Well, at least it wasn't_ totally _embarrassing…_he thought with relief. He heard a car horn from outside.

"That's your dad I bet." He said as he stood up. He walked with Ichigo out the door, just to make sure he was ok. When they neared the door, a sleek red car was parked out front. Hichigo could recognize the man he had talked to before. Isshin climbed out of the car, grinning.

"My son is ali-" he suddenly lunged, but Ichigo just held a fist out and he crashed into it.

"Dad! Can you seriously be any more embarrassing?" Ichigo snapped. He sighed as Hichigo laughed. "Well, I'll see ya later than Shiro?" he asked. Hichigo stopped and looked at Ichigo.

"I guess so." He said. As both of them climbed into the car and drove off, Hichigo couldn't help but feel lonely. _More lonely than normal…_he thought.

* * *

As they drove down the road, Isshin put on a serious face. "So what did you think of him Ichigo?" he asked. Ichigo just rolled his eyes.

"Dad, just because I'm gay does _not_ mean I'm after every guy I see." He sighed. His dad shook his head.

"I understand that Ichigo, but when I asked what you thought of him, that wasn't what I meant." He explained. "You didn't find anything…off about him?"

"Dad!" Ichigo snapped. As far as he knew, his father had never been against 'different' people, seeing as he had a son with orange hair and was gay to top it off. So Ichigo felt confused as to what his dad was asking him. "Just because he's different doesn't mean-"

"I don't mean anything by that Ichigo. It's just…there's something wrong with him. When he came to tell me what happened to you…I saw what kind of person he was, like he no longer cares about what people think about him." He explained to his son. Ichigo gave him an odd stare. "Promise me that you'll be careful around him, ok?"

"Dad, you're not making any sense…"

"Promise me, Ichigo." He said sternly.

"Tell ya what Dad. You can point out what ya mean tonight, seeing as I asked if he wants to come for supper." His dad raised an eyebrow at him. "Dad, it's not like that. I just owe him." But inside, Ichigo wasn't sure if he believed himself. _It's just dinner…_he told himself.

* * *

Hichigo watched as the sun slowly set on the cold city, shivering slightly. _I need a new heater…_he thought. _I'll get one with my next paycheck I suppose…_ Living in the garage wasn't bad, but he knew he wasn't going to be able to stay long. If a storm hit…he shook his head. It wouldn't do him any good to think that badly. He looked at the clock which read 5:30 PM. _Better get walking then…_he thought. He bundled himself up in his whole black attire and headed out into the cold evening. He wasn't exactly sure _why_ he was going when he had 'other' plans, but he decided what the hell? _I'm not going anywhere…yet._ He told himself. But as he walked, he thought about the rest of his plans. _Kaien…what am I to really do?_ He told himself. _Am I going just because I'm delaying the inevitable?_ He wondered.

* * *

When a sharp knock came from the door, Ichigo was actually surprised to see Hichigo walk in, dropping most of his winter attire on the floor. "Y-you actually came?" he asked.

"Duh. Wouldn't want to miss telling your sisters how I saved your ass from over fifty thugs." Hichigo joked and he couldn't help but laugh.

"What the hell ever. Anyways, supper's just been put on the table, so you can go on ahead and sit after you wash your hands." He said. Hichigo nodded and headed to where he could smell chicken and washed his hands in the sink. He could feel someone staring and he turned to see Yuzu standing next to him.

"What?" he asked, trying not to sound harsh.

"Did you hurt yourself?" she asked, pointing at his wrists. He instantly covered them up, feeling nervous.

"Uh s-sure. Accident at work." He stammered. She just nodded and took the rest of the cups to the table, filling them with lemonade. He let out a soft sigh as he walked and sat at the table. Ichigo sat next to him, and a girl with dark black hair sat on the other side of him. He hadn't seen her, but her resemblance to Yuzu, slightly anyways, told him that that was Karin.

"What?" she asked, sounding agitated. He moved back some when he realized he had been staring at her.

"N-nothing. Sorry, but I didn't see you when I was here last." He apologized. She just smiled and nodded.

"Sorry for snapping then. I'm Karin." She said, holding her hand out. He took it and shook, being careful to hide his wrists. Ichigo watched and smiled.

_He obviously isn't used to people…_he thought, slightly amused.

"Well then! Now that everyone's here, let's e-" Isshin almost dove for the chicken, but Yuzu smacked his hand with a ladle.

"Dad! Prayer first!" she scolded, causing Hichigo to chuckle slightly. She then placed her hands together and bowed her head, everyone quickly following suit. "God, thank you for all of this food and family. Oh! And thanks for Shiro." Hichigo could feel his heart clench at the mention of his name. "If it wasn't for him, who knows what would've happened to big brother. Thank you for sending him to save Ichigo." Ichigo cleared his throat and Yuzu peaked at him. "Amen!"

"Amen" everyone repeated, and began digging in.

* * *

When dinner was done, Hichigo decided to help Yuzu with the dishes. Well, that _was_ the idea. "Hey Yuzu, you can put the food away. I'll do the dishes with Shiro." Ichigo said. Hichigo rolled his golden eyes and grabbed a plate, scrubbing it swiftly.

"So, am I getting an interrogation or something?" he asked, causing Ichigo to chuckle.

"Not really, but if I don't ask them, Dad will have my head." He said. Hichigo just snorted, but inside he felt upset.

_At least you have one to worry over you…_he thought. His dad had died when he was only ten due to cancer. And when it happened…he blamed himself. It was his fault his father didn't get the treatment, and now…

"Hey, Shiro? You've been washing the same plate for a while now." Ichigo's voice snapped him from his thoughts. When he looked at Ichigo, he could see the concern in his brown eyes.

"I'm…fine. Sorry." He said and handed it to Ichigo for him to dry it off. Ichigo reached over and handed him the knife they had used to cut the chicken up. As Hichigo washed it, he stared at it, almost amazed by its sharpness. It was a sight that creeped Ichigo out slightly. He slipped the sponge over it, but his finger nicked it slightly and he flinched. "Damn…" he grumbled.

"Here, lemme get something real quick." Ichigo said and ran off, only to quickly come back with a cheap blue band-aid. He wrapped it around Hichigo's pale finger.

"I can do it myself thank you very-" When he looked up, he saw the concern on Ichigo's face and it struck something inside him…something painful.

"Sorry. Got just a little carried away." Ichigo said. Hichigo could feel his legs shaking. Ichigo watched as Hichigo's golden eyes widened he took one more look at the knife in his hand and then at Ichigo.

"I…I gotta go…" he whispered. Ichigo wasn't sure what to do. One moment Hichigo had been joking off and the next…he was shaking.

"Shiro?" He reached out to help him, or at least do something. But Hichigo shook his head and dropped the knife. He ran towards the door, grabbed his stuff and was out the door just as quickly, leaving Ichigo alone in the kitchen.

* * *

Hichigo burst into the garage after an hour and a half of running. He ran to the bathroom and dug into the drawer, seizing the old razor. _No more…_he thought. _No more…_

* * *

Ichigo finished washing the dishes when Yuzu came in. She picked up the knife Ichigo had forgotten about and noticed the small stain on it. "Did Shiro hurt himself?" she asked.

"Yeah, but after I helped him, he freaked out and ran home." He said, feeling annoyed at the memory. Yuzu put on a thoughtful look.

"Hmm, maybe he has to fix up his other wounds too." She said, placing the knife in the sink. He stopped washing a large plate and looked at her.

"Other…wounds?" he asked.

"Yeah, his wrists were all bandaged up. Said he got hurt at work." She explained. He froze as he remembered how Hichigo had looked when he looked at the knife.

_No…no way…_he thought. _The crying…the way he looked at that thing…_he quickly placed the plate in the sink and grabbed his coat. "Dad! Get the car ready!" he yelled. "I'm going to Shiro's!"

"What's wrong Ichigo?" he asked, noticing how his son was panicking.

"I think Shiro's in trouble." He said, quickly slamming the door.

* * *

When they got there, Ichigo bolted out of the car and straight into the garage. He desperately looked for the bathroom. _C'mon Ichigo! Hurry!_ He told himself. When he found the door, he opened it and covered his hand. He saw Hichigo holding a razor to his arms, most of his pale arms cut and dripping with red liquid.

"I-Ichigo?" he whispered, his voice shaky. Ichigo took two steps forward.

"Shiro…" Hichigo backed away, but his vision suddenly tipped dangerously and he fell forward, his head hitting the floor harshly. "Shiro!" Ichigo picked him up, being careful as could be. He shook him slightly, but he didn't get a response. When he felt for a pulse, it was fast, almost too fast. "DAD! GET IN HERE!" he yelled. "SHIRO NEEDS HELP!"

* * *

Chapter 4 end

Oh, I'm so evil! XD Well, if ya click the button here, it'll tell ya your future~!


	5. Chapter 5

Response to reviews~!

herRhi-chan: Yup! Wonder what'll happen? *totally forgot that she's the authoress*

Kai and Umiki: Uhh….a piano will drop on you're head because Ichigo pushed it out the window! XD Kidding~!

Tiana Misoro: Not at all! I would never do that to you! *hugs*

Miszxbrii: I might…XD

hehehehehohohoProductions0: Yup. Whew~!

Angelchan2012: Ta da! *sits and waits for your reviews*

Strawberry-Ringo: Call it my talent. ^_^

Ok, I know I creeped some of you guys out when I did that, but the story doesn't end here obviously! It'd be cruel to do that! So…here's Chapter 5!

* * *

Chapter 5

Ichigo stared at Hichigo as he slept on the small hospital bed. _What the hell was he thinking?_ He thought. _He could've…he could've died!_

"He'll be fine Ichigo." Ichigo turned to see his dad walking in carrying a small clipboard. "He didn't lose too much blood, just enough to make him dizzy."

"That's too much in my book." Ichigo grumbled. Isshin sighed. He pulled up a chair and sat next to his son.

"You don't even want to practice medicine. You want to be a teacher." He said.

"What, you're gonna complain about that _again_?" Ichigo chuckled.

"Not at all." He said with a smile. Ichigo just rolled his eyes.

"Why would he do this to himself?" he asked, staring at the fresh bandages that wrapped around Hichigo's arms. Isshin looked at the ground.

"Ichigo…maybe you should ask him." He said slowly. Ichigo sighed.

"I will Dad, guarantee that one." He said. His dad patted his back and walked out of the room. Ichigo moved his chair closer and leaned against the wall. _Shiro…what's wrong? Why are you doing this to yourself?_

* * *

Hichigo was running. That's the way his life had been for the past two years; nothing but running. This time, he was running from a group of people out to 'take care of the monster' as they put it. He was suddenly cornered in a dark alley, his back against a filthy, wet brick building. "There it is!" one of them shouted. Their shadows loomed over him and he could feel himself draw his legs in, covering his head.

_No…no leave me alone!_ He thought because his mouth wouldn't move. The grabbed him and began shaking him, tearing at his clothes, trying to remove them. _Kaien, please help!_

"Shiro!" He then heard a voice call from one of the figures shaking him. "Shiro, wake up!"

* * *

Hichigo's golden eyes snapped open to see Ichigo's worried face. "Oh good, you're awake now." He sighed, leaning back some. Hichigo slowly sat up, looking around.

"Wh…where am I?" he asked quietly.

"My dad's clinic. You…w-well, you…" Ichigo left the sentence to hang in the air.

"Why…why didn't you leave me alone?" Ichigo turned to see the albino looking down, his fists clutching the white sheets tightly. He knew he had to be careful here; he didn't want to upset the teen anymore.

"I owed ya one." H said simply. "Besides…you're a good student. You can't just-"

"Just what? Throw my life away like that?" Ichigo was surprised by his sudden snap. "Do you know how many fucking time's I've heard that?"

"Hey, I saved your ass back there!" Ichigo snapped angrily, completely forgetting to be careful.

"For what purpose? Just so I can get tortured another fucking day?" Ichigo was taken aback by this sudden outburst. "Why didn't you just let me end my already painful existence?"

"S-Shiro…"

"No! Just….leave me alone…" he said, looking back down at his covers. "Leave me alone…" Ichigo stood up slowly, but as he walked out, Hichigo grabbed his sleeve. "N-no, wait."

"Leave, wait, make up your damned mind." Ichigo grumbled, agitated. He waited for Hichigo to reply, but he didn't. All he did was stare into his eyes, the golden irises filled with a sadness that he couldn't grasp. _It's like…he wants me to do something…_but what? He wondered. Hichigo let his sleeve go and he left the room. As Hichigo watched his retreating back, he sighed.

_This_ has _to be punishment…_he thought. _When I want to say how I feel…I'm stopped. Kaien…tell me what I can do…_

* * *

Ichigo plopped on the couch and let out an annoyed huff. "Dad, he's awake." He called. He watched as his dad ran into the clinic and he grabbed the remote to turn on the TV. As it clicked on, he sighed when it ended up on the Crime Channel. _Ugh…please tell me Karin isn't the one that left it here again…_he sighed. Karin had a thing for crime and dangerous things…well, when it came to TV shows. He watched as a show on Murder Cases popped up. _Oh, these are always interesting… _When the show started, it showed a picture of someone who kinda looked like him, but with black hair and green eyes. Hey…haven't I seen him before?

"_It was a cold night over three years ago when Kaien Shiba had been walking home alone when he heard the cries of a teenager…"_ the TV announcer said. A light bulb snapped on above his head.

_Kaien…Shiro was screaming that name in his sleep!_ He realized.

"_In just a few short hours, he was brutally beaten to death, the teenager he was trying to help rape, beaten, and left for dead. We will warn you; the following pictures may disturb you."_ The announcer said. When a picture popped up, he couldn't help but shiver slightly. Blood stained the walls of the alley where he had been found. His face was beaten badly, almost beyond recognition. When another picture appeared, he grabbed the remote and hit the pause. In the picture with the dead body, was another teenager; beaten badly and wrapped in a blanket, clothes torn all over as he sat in a puddle of what appeared to be blood. But what drew his attention the most wasn't the blood, it was the surviving teenager.

He was an albino with golden eyes staring in horror at the body in front of him. _Sh…Shiro?_

* * *

Chapter 5 end

I know, short and with a cliffhanger! At least Hichigo's ok, right? Well, if you hit the button, I hear that there will be a Kingdom Hearts 3 that will come out for every game console! So please hit the damned button! XD

PS: Umm…just curious, does anyone feel that I should start this over? I want you're honest to god opinions here! I'm feeling just a little uncertain about this story…but I'll continue it f you wish!


	6. Chapter 6

Response to reviews~!

Angelchan2012: Wouldn't be cool if this was a doujinshi? Just as good as an anime, or manga in that case. XD

Kai and Umiki: Thank you so much! ^_^

HappiestUnderClouds: …For some reason, a man eating chinchilla doesn't scare me…^_^' Well, glad ya like it!

herRhi-chan: Guess I won't then, eh?

X-Ulquiorra-X: Ok, I won't! Geeze!

Strawberry-Ringo: I'd feel the same…DX

Alright, I know that it was a mean little cliffy there, but get used to it! It's my style after all! Also, for those that read Anthem of the Angels and reviewed, I salute you! If you haven't…will you please? *puppy eyes* Well, let's do this shall we? On to Chapter 6!

* * *

Chapter 6

Ichigo kept the TV on pause for awhile, staring at the frozen picture of Hichigo. He just couldn't believe this. _Talk about ironic…_he thought. He hit the play and continued watching.

"_Apparently, the teenager was close to Kaien, but he refused to answer any interviews. We did speak to the parents of Kaien Shiba, who unfortunately had some rather disturbing things to say about the albino teen."_ He watched as they showed a small recorder and the voice of Kaien's mom played on the TV.

"_That boy was nothing but trouble for our son! We had told him constantly to stay away from him, but he refused. Now because of that…that monster…our little boy is gone…"_ she said hysterically. Ichigo felt a knot form in his stomach.

"_That boy's a menace and a cutter to fit. He should have been put somewhere safe. Now because of someone's mistake, the wrong boy was killed."_ The father's voice played next and Ichigo fought the need to smash the TV.

_How dare these people say this stuff!_ He thought angrily. _Do they even know him?_ Then an unsettling thought crossed his mind. _Do_ I _know him? _

"_The albino's mother also spoke on the subject. However her response was deemed to violent to put on TV." _The announcer continued. A shiver crawled its way up his spine.

_Even his mom hates him?_ He wondered. He now felt deprived of any knowledge he thought he had on the poor albino. _I need to speak to him again…_he thought. _And get the truth._

* * *

Hichigo was lying on his side, staring out at the window where the sunset was shining through. He sighed when the door opened. "What do you want now?" he asked quietly.

"The truth." Ichigo said as he sat down next to the bed. "Why do you do this to yourself? Is it because of Kaien's death?" Hichigo flinched as painful memories tried to surface.

"Wh-what do you know about that?" he asked quietly.

"There was a special on TV that I just watched." Hichigo laughed bitterly.

"Oh, did they play what his parents said about me?" he asked, his tone harsh and cold. It made Ichigo flinch.

"Y-yes."

"Ha! My mother truly is a bitch from hell. She told them so many lies…and all because she blames me." He said. Ichigo felt lost.

"Blames you? Blames you for what?" he asked. Hichigo stopped laughing and sighed. He sat up, flinching at the pain in his arms.

"D-don't worry about that one…" he said quietly. Ichigo wanted to stay firm on the fact he wanted to know, but the look in Hichigo's eyes told him that what he was about to say was painful enough. "I…I wasn't exactly popular for my looks and personality. Kaien was…was the only person who ever truly cared about me." He said. Ichigo watched as he clutched the sheets tightly, his eyes taking on a distant look as he flipped through his memories. "We were seeing each other. Before I knew it…I had fallen in love with him. He…he meant everything to me. I actually didn't…didn't _mind_ my existence. The cutting stopped…I knew I existed to someone."

"Shiro…"

"One night…I was on my way to his house from work. S-some guys from our school…I think they were d-drunk. They surrounded me and told me I looked hot for…for a demonic fag." His face clenched in pain and Ichigo felt anger rise inside him.

_Why do people treat others that are different like this?_ He thought.

"I…I can't remember what happened well because they hit me really hard on the head. According to the doctors, they injected something in me too, but I can't remember what it was called." He continued, his voice rising as he went. "I…they were about to rape me. They tore my clothes off…but I couldn't move…so I did the thing that came naturally; I screamed. I…I…"

"Shiro…you don't need to-"

"No, I'm fine. I…I really just want to get this off my chest…" he breathed in and out slowly before continuing. "W-well…Kaien was going to m-meet me. He must've heard my scream, because he came running and he began beating some of the men up. He tried t-to help me to my feet…but I couldn't f-feel my limbs…it was like they weren't there…" He pulled his arms close to him, shivering. Ichigo felt the need to hold him, calm him down just in case something happened, but he didn't. "I…they attacked him from behind. They kicked…beat him with a big bat…and…all the while…I was bent on the g-ground….the pain…before I knew it, he was…gone." He began shivering more violently and Ichigo sat down and pulled him into a tender embrace.

"Shh…it's fine Shiro. It's over…calm down…" he said. Shiro struggled in his grip suddenly.

"Don't touch me!" he snapped suddenly and he pushed Ichigo away. He turned and tried to read Hichigo's eyes, but he was looking away from him.

"Why? I'm trying to help you here." he said, slightly harsh and Hichigo flinched. When he looked at Ichigo, his golden eyes wee soft and filled with an odd concern.

"People who help me…they get hurt." He said. "Your better off leaving me alone…not getting attached." _Like I am to you…_. They both locked eyes before Hichigo lay back down. "Just…I'll be out of your hair soon, so don't worry about it." He sighed. Ichigo looked at him and felt his chest tighten with an unknown feeling.

_What if…what if I don't want that?_ He thought. Ichigo said nothing else, turning off the light and leaving the room. Hichigo pulled his blankets closer to himself.

_Kaien…how can I tell him how I feel…when I know he'll never feel that way for me? No one has since you...and never will again..._

* * *

Ichigo stared at the ceiling in his room. He remembered his conversation with Hichigo and tried to figure out what he had meant. _"People who help me…they get hurt. You're better off leaving me alone…not getting attached…"_

_But…but I am attached…_he thought. He couldn't deny that he felt something for the albino teen, but it felt more like a brotherly attachment. _I want to help him…_ But how was he going to do that exactly? His scars were deep, and Ichigo didn't want to rub salt deeper into his wounds. So…what was he to do? What could he say without hurting him? That's when an idea hit him. _He told me about the death of his boyfriend…maybe I'll…tell him about my mom._ He decided. It was something he never liked talking about, and he blamed himself for it still.

"Big brother…can you come downstairs?" Yuzu's voice sounded quiet from behind his door. He rolled out of bed and quickly put his robe on. When he opened the door, he noticed Yuzu had a worried expression on her face.

"What's wrong Yuzu?" he asked.

"Uhh…it-it's Shiro…he's crying again." She whispered. Ichigo knelt in front of her and put his hands on her shoulder. "I… think he's having bad dreams…"

"Yuzu…he's…he's had it really rough." He said slowly. "I'm not surprised he's having bad dreams."

"Like you did?" she asked quietly, causing him to flinch a little at the bad memories. "Can you make his bad dreams go away? You did once already…"

"Yuzu, I'm not-"

"He's crying for you in his sleep…he _needs_ you big brother." She practically pleaded. He had never known his sister to do that before and it stunned him slightly.

"Yuzu…I'll try…" he sighed. As he walked downstairs, he could feel Yuzu watching him closely. When he reached Hichigo's room, he saw the albino tossing in his sleep, the blankets tangled around his legs. He was breathing hard and he could hear him crying, but it was muffled by his pillow.

"No…be careful…Ichigo please…" Ichigo froze where he stood. "No, stop!" He ran over and shook Hichigo by his shoulders, trying to get him to wake up.

"Shiro! Shiro, wake up! You're having a nightmare!" He shook a little harder and his golden eyes flew open, but they didn't seem to register him. Instead, Hichigo started flailing, trying desperately to get out of Ichigo's grip. "Hichigo, it's me!" When he didn't stop, Ichigo slapped his face. He stopped flailing and looked back at Ichigo, his golden eyes filled with fear.

"I…Ichigo?" he asked quietly. Ichigo nodded.

"It's ok…you had a nightmare." He said. When Hichigo didn't reply, he just pulled him forward. Hichigo gripped the back of his robe tightly and started crying into his shoulder.

"I-Ichigo…"

"It's ok…" It was all he could say, but he wasn't sure if it helped. They sat there in silence until Hichigo went limp in his hold. _Must've fallen asleep again_…he thought and sighed. He slowly lowered the teen down and covered him back up. He felt like going back to bed, but after how hysterical and scared Hichigo had been alone, he thought better of it. _I think he's been alone long enough…_Instead, he pulled another bed into the room and put it next to Hichigo's. He slid into it and closed his eyes. The last thing he heard before slipping under was Hichigo's quiet, even breathing.

* * *

Chapter 6 end

I know, another short one. But you gotta admit it was nice. Well, if ya click this button, your fave food will forever be in your fridge/oven. XD Unlimited Pizza Hut pizza…yum!


	7. Chapter 7

Response to reviews~!

Aya-ItaLover: Umm…no. I like Pizza Hut more.

Miszxbrii: Wouldn't have t any other way! XD

hehehehehohohoProductions0: Yup! ^_^

Kobato00: So true…XD

Angelchan2012: Yes I am! *accepts offerings*

Well, after some of Shiro's past, I'm gonna guess y'all want fluff? Well, I'll try! Here's Chapter 7~! Also, Microsoft Wrod's been giving me some...odd trouble lately. It keeps locking up when I click save, and it even slows down and/or locks up my internet! I have no clue what's wrong...but I shall still continue to do my best to update my stories! So if my grammer seems off...gomenasai! *bows*

* * *

Chapter 7

When Hichigo woke up, he found himself staring into a sea of orange. _No...that can't be right... _He backed up slowly to see Ichigo. _Why is he down here?_ He wondered. Ichigo shifted a little closer to him, a peaceful look on his face. Hichigo could feel something inside him soften at the look. He reached out slowly and ran his pale and through the orange tresses. He felt a little susprised. _It's soft..._ Suddenly Ichigo stirred and he pulled his hand away.

"Mm...morning Shiro." Ichigo yawned. He sat up slowly and stared at the stunned albino. "What's wrong?"

"Why...why are you down here?" _In the same bed i'm in?_ he added to himself quietly. Ichigo blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well...you were having really bad nightmares. So...the only thing I could think of was to just sleep down here. You didn't have anymore the entire night." he explained sheepishly. It was then Hichigo's turn to blush slightly.

"I..was having nightmares? Talk about embarrasing!" he laughed nervously. "Did...did I...you know, say anything? In my sleep, I mean."

_Only my name and telling me to look out... _Ichigo thought. "Not much that i remember." he replied. Hichigo sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Well...I uh...thanks." He muttered quietly. Ichigo looked at him.

"Huh? Don't think I _quite_ heard that." Ichigo said.

"I said thanks. Thanks for...for helping me out. And...thanks for listening." he said. Ichigo raised an eye brow.

"Oh, did someone just open themselves up to me finally?" he teased and Hichigo punched his shoulder.

"Ah, shut it." he said and they both laughed.

* * *

Ichigo invited him to stay for breakfast, but Hichigo shook his head. "No thanks. I need to get to work." he sighed. He really wanted to stay, oh how badly he wanted to, but he needed the money so he could stop living in that nasty old garage. As he headed outside, Isshin stopped him.

"I shall drive you! You don't have anything on to protect you from the cold out there!" he exclaimed. Hichigo rolled his eyes, but Ichigo just nodded.

"Do it, or else he'll bug me about it." he said.

"Bug _you_?"

"Wait, Shiro!" Hichigo turned around to see Yuzu running up to him. She was holding something in her hands, but he couldn't see what it was. "I made you something." She held her hands out and he froze. In her hand was a small paper bird. "It's a crane. I...I thought you'd like to have it." she said and hekd it out to him. Unsure of what to say, he took it from her carefully.

"I...uhh...thank you." he whispered. She just smiled and walked back into the kitchen.

"Well, we're off!" Isshin called and they both headed out the door.

* * *

When they finally parked outside the old garage, Hichigo unbuckled and sighed. "Thanks for the help Mr. Kurosaki." he said.

"It's the least I could do for the person who helped my son." he said. Hichigo nodded and opened the door. "Wait, Hichigo." He stopped and turned to face the man. "Stop doing this to yourself. What happened in the past...it isn't your fault." Hichigo flinched as more painful memories surfaced.

"What...what would you know?" he asked slowly.

"Pleanty. Look, there are people who do care, and my son is now one of them. Needless to say, I care as well. Don't throw your life away just because-"

"What are you to say what to do with my life?" Hichigo snapped. "You're not my father!" He got out of the car and slammed the door shut. Isshin watched as he stormed back into the garage and sighed.

"No i'm not...but i can see how much you need _someone_ to tell you that." he said. "But sadly...i'm not the one."

* * *

Hichigo placed the small paper crane on his shelf and got ready for work. Isshin's words rang in his ears and he huffed. "What's he to tell me what to do with my life anyways?" he said as he put his coat on and rushed out the door. The wind whipped around him as he hedaded towards the store. _What does he truly care for? I'm a ghost...no one truly cares for ghosts as it is... _As he continued walking, he replayed what he could remember from last night in his head. _He held me...he helped me, even though I told him to stay away. Why...why does he care? Why does he have to be the one to care?_

* * *

Ichigo sat in class feeling oddly bored. The clock was moving awkwardly slow for some reason and he wanted it to move faster. _C'mon...I really want to get this annoying shopping done..._he thought and sighed. His sister had told him to go shopping at the small convienent store after school. He absolutly hated shopping, but Yuzu had to stay home and take care f Karin, who had caught the bug during the day yesterday. When the bell finally rang, he rushed outside and headed down the street towards the store. As he entered, he could hear a familiar voice complaning.

"I _know_ it goes there Shinji! But for the thousandth time, there's no more space!" He could recognize that voice anywhere.

"It's called make some room! Jeeze you can be so dense!" Shinji replied from the back of the store. As Ichigo made it to the front, he could see Hichigo behind the register, muttering to himself.

"Fuckin' prick..." he grumbled.

"Sh-Shiro?" He gasped. Hichigo looked up and their eyes locked onto each other. Silence followed, but only briefly as Ichogo cleared his throat and broke the connection. "Uhh...I uhh..."

"You didn't know I worked here." Hichigo said simply. "No one really does, except for a few people at school." he admitted. Ichigo nodded and sighed.

"Well, I normally don't shop here, but there's stuff on YUzu's list, and I know I can get it all here...so I thought i'd just stop here and buy the stuff I needed and head home." he said. Hichgo nodded and held his hand out.

"Lemme see what 'cha need. I can tell ya where it is in the store." he said. Ichigo handed him the list, flinchign when he saw his bandaged wrists and arm.

"How's your...your arms?" he asked. Hichigo froze, pain in his eyes, but it was brief and he shrugged.

"Ok I suppose." he said. "They don't sting right now." He looked at the list and nodded. "Most of the things ya need are back there." He pointed and Ichigo nodded, feeling grateful

_It'd be embarrasing if I got lost here..._he thought. When he took the list back he headed towards the back of the store.

* * *

Hichigo watched as Ichigo walked back t get the stuff on his list. _Of all places to shop in Karakura...he comes here._..he thought. _Is this...fate?_ He quickly shook his head. _No way in hell. There's no such thing as fate..._he told himself. _But...had it been fate that Kaien was there that night? If so...fate's a fuckwad that hates me...juat like everyone else..._

"Hey, are ya gonna ring up my order what?" Hichigo was brought of his thoughts by Ichigo's impatient tone.

"What, in a hurry?" he teased as he began ringing up his stuff.

"No, I just hate shopping. Yuzu knows I hate it." he sighed. Hichgo chuckled and his mind wandered back to her little 'gift'.

"You're sister...she gave me a paper crane this morning. I was wondering...why'd she-"

"Origami is a little habit of hers. She loves it. She makes animals for people based on what she believes is the 'true' them, as she says." Ichigo explained.

"So...to her, i'm like a crane?" Hichigo asked and he laughed. "Now that's definatly strange! I don't see myself like that at all."

"Then what do you see yourself as?" Ichigo asked. Hichigo stopped laughing and looked at the counter.

"I...I see myself as..." He took in a deep breath and sighed. "Well..." Ichigo gave him a confused look.

"A what? C'mon tell-"

"Your total is 15.75." He said quickly, interrupting Ichigo. Ichigo rolled his eyes and gave him the cash. "Look, i'm sorry, but if we chat any longer, i'm gonna get fired. I'm really sorry, honest." he apologized quickly.

_Bullshit..._Ichigo thought, but he let it slide. "Guess i'll stop by your place later and ask on your time." he said.

"Good luck getting an answer then." Hichigo chuckled. Ichigo gave him a sly smile that made him feel funny.

"Oh, I don't need your luck. I'll get the answer from you." he said. Hichigo watched as Ichigo left the store and sighed.

_For some odd reason, I believe you..._he thought.

"Hey, if you're done chatting with your boyfriend, get over here and fix the inventory!" Shinji shouted, but he sounded less annoyed and more amused. Hichigo could feel a blush cross his face.

"He-he's not my boyfriend!" he snapped. Shinji laughed as he faced the shelves, fixing the items up.

"Bullshit. If there's one thing I know about you, it's that you never let people in. You never ever talk to them for anymore then five seconds. But you talked to him, even laughed." he explained. Hichigo froze. "If he ain't your boyfriend, then why'd ya let him in rather than anyone else?" he asked. The bell up front rang and he ran up to check, leaving Hichigo alone.

_I don't know Shinji..._he thought. _What makes him so special?_

* * *

Chapter 7 end

Don't worry, there will be more fluff later on, I promise! Well, if ya clck this button, in the next Chapter of Bleach, Hichigo and Ichigo and Tensa Zangetsu will kill Aizen, return to Ichi's inner world, and have a threesome. ^_^


	8. Chapter 8

Response to reviews~!

Tiana Misoro: I get excited too; that means I get to read all of the reviews I receive! ^_^

herRhi-chan: Yup!

bottlecaps: Hee hee, glad you're enjoying it so much! ^_^

hehehehehohohoProductions0: Who the hell knows? O.o *clueless*

miszxbrii: Yeah...i'll agree to that one. XD

MzNeko-chan SP: Well, wait no longer~!

Aya-ItaLover: Hooray for awesomesauce! XD

Strawberry-Ringo: Hmm...i'll have to think about it...XD

Ok, I know y'all are wanting smex...but c'mon, angst before smex, right? It's in my nature! Hee hee~ Well, here's Chapter 8~!

* * *

Chapter 8

For the past week, Ichigo had gone to the store and chatted with Hichigo. He felt like it was helping them both some; Hichigo was begining to open up a little more and he was getting some answers. "Seriously? You're an artist?" Ichigo asked as they walked back to Hichigo's garage.

"Yeah, although I haven't been able to do any painting or drawing for some time." he admitted.

"How come?" Ichigo asked and Hichigo rubbed his fingers together.

"Costs money to buy supplies. I'm lucky I have enough money for my groceries." he explained.

"Oh." Ichigo really did feel bad for Hichigo, but he wasn't exactly sure on how to ask what he really wanted to know. "Don't your...you know your-"

"No, they don't." Hichigo said sternly. Ichigo was slightly surprised that he knew what he was even trying to ask. "No one supports me."

"I do..." Ichigo mumbled. Hichigo gave him a look that Ichigo couldn't identify.

"W-well...I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow Ichigo." he said hurridly and ran off, leaving Ichigo alone with one thought in his head.

_His 'home' isn't that way..._

* * *

As Hichigo ran up a steep hill, he couldn't really believe how the past few days ad been going. _Why...why does he insist on coming back? _he wondered. When he finally reached the hill, a cold wind blew past him and he snuggled into his coat. _Damn this cold... _He glanced around at the sight before him. There were gravestones all around, some covered in snow and ice, others knocked over from the harsh wind. _Poor souls... _He slowly wandered until he reached his destination; a small grey stone with two angels on the side. He stared at the stone as he read the name constantly in his mind; _Kaien..._He fell onto his knees, tears in his eyes. _What is going on? Ichigo constantly aproaches me...but I don't have the right words...he wants to know what i've been hiding all my life...Why? Just to...to cause me pain?_ He placed his face in his hands as his chest heaved from sobbing. "I don't exist to anyone...but he...can he truly see me?" he asked the slient tombstone. He sa there for a few moments before a harsh hand was placed on his shoulder.

"Hello again Shiro~." Hichigo turned around sharply to see a face he thought he'd never see again standing in front of him.

"N-Nnoitora?" He was sudenly smacked across the face and fell face first into the snow.

"Yup, great ta see ya again, ya fucking queer." He said, stomping Hichigo's back with his foot. Hichigo cried into the snow. "Ya know, I haven't been this excited beating you up since that other queer got killed." He could feel his blood boil and he gritted his teeth.

"What...what the fuck do you want?" he snapped. A sudden kick to his head made him see stars. Blood filled his mouth as his chest was kicked multiple times.

"Ta warn ya of course. You remember what he told you, right? You belong to _him_ and no one else. Got it?"

"What the fuck are you saying? I belong to _no one_!" Hichigo snapped, getting to his feet and thrusting his foot into the tall man's chest. He was knocked back by the sudden attack and grinned, his teeth abnormally sharp.

"Aye, but you do. And if you remember what happened _last time_..." Hichigo froze as old, painful memories began to surface. "You'll be wise not to get attatched to anyone again. Who knows what...'accidents' may befall _him_." Hichigo froze when he emphasized on 'him'.

"He's not important to me in any way." He growled. Nnoritora laughed and Hichigo flinched at the sound.

"Tsk, I know better. I can already see it in your eyes!" He walked forward and gripped Hichigo's throat. He clawed at it, trying to get air to his quickly burning lungs. "So you'll be wise to find some way of getting him off of your tail, got it?" He released Hichigo and just as quickly as he appered, he vanished. Hichigo ran back home and checked himself over in the mirror. Bruises covered his chest and side, one nasty black spot appering just below his left eye.

_Damn this..._He reached into the drawer and pulled out the razor as he slowly slid it acorss his wrists briskly, he ignored the voice of a certain teenager echoing in his mind, begging him to stop. _You can't command me Ichigo!_ he thought. He didn't even bother to bandage them this time; he allowed the blood to stain his pure white skin like red dye. _You can't tell me what to do with my life!_ He grabbed the razor and held it at his own neck, closing his golden eyes. _I should end my existence now...before anything bad happens to you..._He shook when he felt something touch his hand gently. He opened his eyes to see Kaien placing a hand on his shoulder and the other on the blade. "K-Kaien?"

"Don't do this Shiro...don't throw your life away..." He knew he was hallucinating, maybe he was sick. But the pain and sadness in Kaien's eyes; he knew it all to well. He slowly dropped the blade as Kaien smiled. "Thank you... do not waste your life for my sake..." He then faded from his vision.

_I'm insane...I must be..._ he told himself. He slowly stood up, ignoring the pain in his wrists and slid under the bed covers. Before long, he was sound asleep, but sadly, his sleep was full of nightmares, but not about Kaien. They were about Ichigo...

* * *

Ichigo sighed as his dad repeated his request. "Look, you're going to be on your own for a couple days. I want you to invite him over."

"Dad, what the hell for? I don't need a babysitter." he grumbled. His dad rolled his eyes.

"I don't mean to babysit you. I mean just to talk. Also, they say that a nasty storm is going to hit and...I don't him in that garage when it hits." He explained. Ichigo threw his hands up in defeat.

"Fine! But he isn't going to like this idea at all. And besides...why are you taking the girls and not me?" he asked.

"Simple; someone has to be responsible for any death that occurs without us being open, and your perfect bait!" Ichigo punched his face and sent him face first into the ground.

"You irreisponsible adult!" he yelled before walking out into the winter day to speak to Hichigo.

* * *

He walked into the store to see that Hichigo wasn't there. He did however recognize Rangiku. "Hey Rangiku!" She turned around and before he could even think, she had hugged him, his face buried in her boobs.

"Ichigo~! I didn't know you shopped here!" she exclaimed.

I forgot you worked here...he thought. "Ranfki...lfme gff!" She released him and gave him a curious stare.

"What was that?" she asked. He brushed himself off and sighed.

"Never mind now. Where's Shiro?" he asked. She sighed and ran her hand through her long hair.

"He called off today. Said his head hurt and he felt sick." Ichigo felt the urge to bolt out of the store. "Why? You have a crush on him or something?" Ichigo instantly felt his face get hot. "I'll admit, he _is_ attractive."

"Rangiku, I do not have a crush on him!" he snapped. She smiled at him and shrugged.

"Suit yourself, but he should be home. Go and check up on him. Oh, and if I were you, i'd buy some stuff before the storm hits." she called to him as he bolted out of the store.

* * *

Ichigo knocked on the garage door and was relieved when Hichigo answered. "I-Ichigo? Why are ya here?" he asked, sounding nervous. Ichigo looked down to see bruises on his bare chest and face. His arms were bandaged, but still bleeding.

"Hichigo...did you-"

"Some punk ass attacked me on my way back to my house." He explained, which wasn't much of a lie. But he wasn't about to tell him the rest of the story. SOme of it was pretty self explanitory. "Sorry if this..." He held his wrist out. "...freaks ya out some. I landed rather hard."

_Bull fucking shit..._Ichigo thought but he ignored his bad attempts to cover up his self inflicted wounds. "Look, my dad's gone for the week, and they say there's a nasty storm coming, so I was wondering if-"

"Fine, i'll come." Ichigo gave him a shocked look.

"I...I...Ok then! But, why?" he asked, unsure of what else to say. Hichigo gave him a smile that, for some reason, sent butterflies into his stomach.

"Cause if I said no, you'd be yelling at me until I agreed." He chuckled. "Lemme get some clothes and i'll be right back." He walked into the garage, leaving Ichigo stunned in the doorway.

_That was abnormally easy..._he thought.

* * *

Ichigo was bent over the stove, cooking grilled cheese for dinner. "Sorry about my shitty cooking." he called as Hichigo placed two plates at the table. Hichigo chuckled lightly.

"Not a problem. If it tastes as good as it smells, I think i'll live." he teased and Ichigo rolled his eyes. They had been together now for about two das, Hichigo sleeping on the couch.

_Still no storm..._he thought. But something was bugging him; Hichigo wasn't acting...nrmal. Whenever Ichigo would ask what had happened, he would instantly change the subject or pretend he didn't hear. This was normal for Hichigo most of the time; but this time...something about it was off, like he was scared. _What's he scared of?_ he wondered.

"Hey! I think your burning the food here!" Hichigo's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He quickly turned the oven off and placed the sandwiches onto the plates.

"Sorry! I was thinking." he apologized. Hichigo chuckled.

"Thinking's bad for you Ichigo." he said and Ichigo scowled.

"What the hell ever. Just eat." he said. Hichigo shrugged and they ate in an awkward silence. After feeling tense and trying to figure out what had happened for days, he finally decided to ask again. "Shiro, what exactly happened the other night?" he asked. When he didn't answer, he began to grow agitated. "Hichigo, answer me."

"What does it matter? It was just some dick taking his fun out on me." he said slowly. "So drop it."

"No, I _won't_ drop it." Ichigo said adamantly. "Tell me what happened."

"It's none of your buisness Ichigo." Hichigo said, his voice getting dark.

"It is my buisness. Your my friend Shiro, I want to help you here." Hichig laughed, but it was cold.

"My _friend_? Do you know how many times i've heard people call me that, just to turn around and beat the shit outta me for either being albino, gay, or _both_? Well?" He slammed the table with his hands and stood up. "No, your no friend of mine Ichigo."

"How the fuck do you know that? Not everyone in the world is cruel Hichigo!" Ichigo snapped, also slamming the table. "But you're a stubborn ass that never lets anyone in! I understand that you were hurt Shiro, but-"

"What the fuck do you understand?" Hichigo hollard, his voice filled with pain. "I have been abused my entire fucking life, ever since I was born! I was given a chance once, only to have that small chance stolen from me! I learned that night that life is shit and not even worth living!" Ichigo stood there aghast.

"No wonder people beat you and pick on you!" He snapped. "You see life as shit, so people will continue to beat you! No wonder everyone hates you and blames you for that accident!" He covered his mouth, but the words had already escaped his lips. Hichigo gave him a look that was full of pain and sadness. He then looked down, his fists squeezed shut.

"I see...so you blame me for that also, is that it?" he asked in a, low, dangerous tone.

"N-no, I didn't mean-"

"Fuck you Ichigo! I know very well what you meant! You are just like everyone else!" He watched as Hichigo ran towards the door. Angered by his reaction, Ichigo glared at him.

"Fine, leave for all I give a damn! I don't give a shit about you, since you don't seem to give a shit about yourself! Get the fuck outta here! I don't ever want to see you again!" He watched as Hichigo flinched violently at those words before rushing out the door, slamming it shut. After all that screaming, he felt really tired. Nothing else to do, he plopped down on the couch and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

When he woke up, the electric was out. _Damn...what the hell?_ He looked around in the dark room. _Where's Shiro?_ he wondered, but only for a moment. _Oh...that's right..._ Now that he had a chance to sleep it off, he felt really bad for what had happened. _If I hadn't opened my damned mouth..._he shook his head. _I need to apologize... _As he got up, he heard the wind howling loudly outside. As he pulled the curtains back, he could see snow blowing violently passed the window, blocking his view of the street. "Man, it's snowing really hard..." he whispered. He looked at his watch and froze. He had been sleeping for three hours. _It takes one hour for Shiro to get home..._he looked out the window. _But for the snow to be this high so soon..._He felt his chest tighten painfully as fear filled his mind. "He never made it back in time!" He quickly grabbed his coat and gloves and without thinking twice, he ran out into the blizzard.

* * *

Ichigo tore blindly through the snow and ice. "Shiro! Can you hear me? Shiro!" He tried and tried to call, but his voice was being constantly swallowed by the snow and wind. _Shit! This is bad! I need to find him!_ he thought desperatly. "Shiro!" He tried in vain to keep his hopes up. _Maybe he made it home in time and i'm out here for no reason!_ he thought. _That'd really ruin my day... _He chuckled at the idea, but then remembered what had kead to the argument. _Then again...maybe he..._As he thought, he tripped over something and cried out as he landed funny on his wrist. _Shit! Of all the times to twist something... _He looked down and his entire body froze. What he had tripped over...was Shiro. Not hesitating, he quickly rolled the albino over to see blank, golden eyes staring at him. "Shiro...please..." He sighed when he noticed him shivering violently. He ignored the pain in his wrist and lifted him onto his back. "If you can hear me Shiro, hang on!" He walked straight back, relieved that he had actually found his way back to the clinic. whne he closed the door, he rushed Shiro updstairs and placed him on his bed. He was shivering violently, his teeth chattering. As quickly as he could, he took off Hichigo's shirt and tried to undo his jeans, but the zipper had frozen shut. _Shit..._ he ran downstairs and as he got some scissors, he threw blankets into the dryer so that they would warm up. He ran upstairs and back to the freezing teen."Shiro...can you hear me?" He asked as he tried using the scissors to cut his pants free.

"S-s-s-so c-cold..." he whispered, his voice weak. "S-s-so tir-tired..."

"No, you can't fall asleep, not until your warmed up, got it?" Ichigo said, finally pulling off his freezing pants and rushing back downstairs t grab the blanktes. He rushed back up stairs and wrapped Hichigo in the blankets. As he did, he watched as Hichigo's eyes tried to slip shut.

"So...so t-tired...sleepy..." he murmered, his eyes closing. Ichigo shook him, almost violently.

"NO! STAY AWAKE! YOU HAVE TO STAY AWAKE SHIRO!" he yelled as loud as he could, but he felt helpless. He wasn't training to be a doctor...he didn't know what to do to help him other than to keep him awake. All he could do now was try to keep him awake...and pray. He buried his face in Hischigo's frozen white hair as he felt what little heat the teen had left drain away. _Please...please don't let it end like this..._he prayed to the one person he knew mattered to Hichigo. _Please let him make it...please...please Kaien...don't take him from me too! I'll take care of him, I promise...just don't let him die! _Finally, after prayng for as long as he could, he felt his consiousness slipping. _No...I need to..._Before he could even finish his thoughts, he fell asleep.

* * *

When Ichigo opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the quiet of the room. No chattering, no wind...just silence. To him, it was the silence of death. He quickly checked Hichigo and felt his heart fall three stories down; Hichigo wasn't breathing. "No...no, not after that! No!" He shook Hchigo violently, but he got nothing as the teen's head lolled back, his arms limp at his sides. "No! Hichigo, please!" He buried his face into his cold chest. No! This isn't fair! After what I did to him...I never even got the chance to apologize! he thought. _Hichigo...please...I promise to help you, even if you reject it! I won't ever abandon you! _

_"You'd promise that?" _Ichigo turned around, but no one was there.

_What the...? _"Yes! Just...please! Please don't take him away...not after I..."

_"You what? Rejected him?" _The voice asked, sounding harsh. Ichigo shook his head as he pulled Hichigo closer, trying to warm his deathly cold body.

"I didn't mean it! Please don't...i'm begging whoever is there...don't take him away!" He buried his face back into the snow white hair and began crying. Suddenly, a hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked up and into the eyes of a man he thought he'd never get the chance to see. "K-kaien?" He placed a hand on his lips.

_"Shush. I can hear the promise in your heart. But...will he ever return it I wonder?" _he whispered. He smiled at the firhgtened and stunned expression on the orange head's face. As he began to fade from view, he winked. _"I'm certain that you'll help him Ichigo. Do what I couldn't...please."_

_

* * *

_

When Ichigo opened his eyes again, Hichigo was shivering beside him, but less violently this time. _What...what just happened?_ he wondered. _Was that...that a dream?_ No, he was certain it wasn't. Hichigo had died! So how...? He shook his head and quickly climbed out of his damp clothes. Gotta keep him warm... He quickly climbed under the blankets with the shivering albino, desperate not to let this chance slip. _I promise Kaien...i'll keep him safe...I will help him!_

* * *

Chapter 8 end

Whew!That one was long, eh? Forgive the paranormal ghost deal here, but I was in the mood and that just kinda floated its way into my story! ^_^ Well, if ya click the button, money will fall from the sky! Byes~!


	9. Chapter 9

Response to reviews~!

Kai and Umiki: Thanks a ton! ^_^

Tiana Misoro: I'm glad ya liked it! XD

Kobato00: Really? I'd think it'd be cool...kinda.

miszxbrii: Tell me where ya buy those...I wanna buy some when I move out! *silence* Wait...did I just say that out loud? Oops...

hehehehehohohoProductions0: Oh, we'l find out, neh? 8D

Angelchan2012: Believe me, he feels the love...*Shiro omnomming on my head* ...I think...

herRhi-chan: Yes, knowing me, he could have. But it's a little early to cut the story like that! XD

Strawberry-Ringo: *smiles at your rants*

Aya-ItaLover: You shall see~!

MidnightTune36: Aww...how touching~!

Mz Neko-chan SP: Neither can I! *waiting for own update*

Swiping Monocles: Heh, nice name. Do ya watch the Naruto Abriadge? lol Well, sorry this is taking awhile...^_^'

mylittlehollow: I dunno...it's his style?

Yup, i'm evil! ^_^ However, I have worse things planned, so have no fears until later! I will say that Hichigo will be fine...near the end of the chappie. XD Well, let's get it rolling shall we? On to Chapter 9~!

* * *

Chapter 9

When Ichigo woke up, he was both relieved and worried. He was relieved that Hichigo was still breathing, but worried by how badly his pale skin seemed to burn him when he touched it. _Damnit...this isn't good... _he thought. _I'm training to be a teacher, not a doctor!_ He crawled slowly out of the small bed and quickly rushed to the bathroo, soaking a washcloth under cool water. As he walked back and placed it on the albino's burning forhead, he could hear his phone's cheesy message ringtone. _God, what now?_ He ran over and looked at the text message.

_"Son, the bridge is out. Will be at least another week till we can get back. Srry!"-Dad_

"Oh great...when I need him most, he can't come home!" he sighed. As he flicked nervously at his phone, he tried to think of what to do. The only thing that came to mind was to call Uryu and ask for help. "At least he'll be better equipped for this." He quickly sent him a quick text, praying his phone was on.

_"Hey, r u there?"_ He was slightly surprised when the message went off. _That was fast..._

_"If I wasn't, would I be answering?" _was the reply. Ichigo rolled his eyes. Typical Uryu.

_"Need help. Friend was caught in snowstorm and may be really sick. Don't know wat else 2 do. Can u come over?"_

_"Start shoveling. Be there in bout 10 min." _The reply made him sigh with slight relief. _"Have u taken precautions?"_

_"Removed wet clothes and wrapped him in warm blanktes. But he's burning a fever. Please hurry."_

_"Right." _He snapped his phone shut and quickly put on his winter gear to shovel the snow in front of the door.

* * *

When he saw Uryu pull up, he felt hot in his heavy coat. He quickly ran towards his friend as he walked up. "Thnk god you're here." he sighed.

"Where the hell's your father and sisters?" Uryu asked as they walked in.

"They were on a small buisness trip. They left about two to three days ago. They were only be gone for a week, but the bridge outta town is out, so it's gonna take them awhile longer." he explained hurridly. They both bolted up the stairs, Ichigo feeling tense. _What if...what if there's nothing I can do?_ he wondered, fear tightening his chest. He sighed when he noticed that Hichigo was still breathing, but it sounded ragged and strained.

"Hmm...Ichigo. Go get another washcloth and another blanket. Don't heat it this time." He tossed him one of the blankets that had been on Hichigo. It was drenched in sweat. He rusehd downstairs, wet another washcloth and grabbed another blanket, the old one discarded in the living room. As he ran back up, he noticed Uryu removing his stethescope* from Hichigo's chest.

"Is he...gonna be ok?" He asked.

"Well...he has pneumonia, i'm afraid. However, we caught it just in time before it could advance, so he'll be ok in about a week." he said, recieving a relieved sigh from Ichigo.

_So he'll be ok... _he thought.

"However, do your best to make sure you're the only person in and out of this room. He's rather vunerable in this state, and he could get worse." Uryu wanred. Ichigo nodded as Uryu handed him a bottle. "If he wakes up, make him take them every 6 hours." Ichigo nodded as he followed Uryu to the front door.

"Thanks, Uryu, seriously." He said. Uryu pushed his glasses up onto his face.

"Look, I know Shiro better than you. Help him, please." Before Ichigo could respond, he was gone.

* * *

It's been three days since then, and Hichigo had barely even woken up for him to give him the medicine. Even when he did wake up, he couldn't seem to recognize where he was because of his fever. At the present time, Ichigo was downstairs, watching T.V. He was glad the electricity was running again. It helped him keep the house warm and, hopefully, help Hichigo get better. As he went to fix himself a cup of hot cffe, he heard a scream from upstairs. He ran as fast as he could up the stairs. _What's going on?_ When he made it to his room, Hichigo was thrashing around, his pale hands scratching his wrists like mad, causing the raw scars to open and bleed again. "Shiro, what the hell's going on?"

"No! Make them leave me alone! Get away from me!" He screamed and Ichigo rushed over to try and calm him down.

"Shiro! Snap out of it!" He yelled as he grabbed his arms, trying to stop him from tearing his skin. Hichigo opened his eyes wide. They were blood shot, making the black sclera look blood red, his eyes glazed with his fever and terror.

"Get away from me! He...he'll hurt you!" He yelled, sturggling in Ichigo's firm grip. Ichigo grabbed both of his cheeks, hissing at how hot they felt.

"Shiro...look at me!" Hichigo continued to struggle. "HICHIGO!" He stopped and turned to lock his dark, blood shot eyes with Ichigo's warm, worried chocolate ones.

"I...Ichig...Ichigo?" he asked, sounding unsure of himself. Ichigo nodded and Hichigo blinked. "Wh...where..."

"You're in my room. Do you remember what happened?" he asked, feeling Hichigo's forehead. His fever's gone down a little...

"N...not very well..." he admitted. "I...we argued...I ran outside...it was so cold out...I couldn't see...then he...he..."

"He who?" Ichigo asked. Before Hichigo could say anymore, hsi eyes rolled back and he slumped against Ichigo's collarbone. Ichigo sighed as Hichigo's breath deepend. _He's asleep..._he thought and sighed. He remembered what Uryu had asked him to do just a few days before.

_"Look, I know Shiro better than you. Help him, please."_

_Well...in order to help him, looks like i'll need to learn more...but I promise to help him...I swear it on my soul..._he told himself. He tried to move, but Hichigo grabbed him instinctivly, and his grip said that he wasn't about to let go. _Well...I guess it wouldn't hurt to sleep here. He may need it right now anyways..._Feeling exhausted after pinning him down, he fell asleep sitting up, Hichigo in his arms.

* * *

Out in a dark alleyway, a thin man walked into an old bar with a wicked smile on his face. The boss is going to be very pleased with this...he thought. As he walked in, he noticed his boss and bowed slowly. "Sir, I bring good news."

"I fucking told you, Shawlong; if has nothing to do with-"

"Sir, if I may interrupt, it does have to do with the topic at hand." He bent back up and smiled. "I have located your property." The man in the tall chair grinned, a look that would make the devil shiver.

"Finally...I have you..." he whispered into the darkness.

* * *

Chapter 9 end.

Sorry for the late update, but Demon Hunters had been holding my attention for awhile there. Forgive me~! DX Well, reviews please?


	10. Chapter 10

Response to reviews~!

herRhi-chan: Hee hee, thanks! ^_^

miszxbrii: Lol wow, short review! XD

Angelchan2012: Waahhh! Shiro~! *hugs him too*

Tiana Misoro: Yeah...which isn't good...XD

Strawberry-Ringo: Yup, me too!

Kobato00: Cause this is my story...and you're not part of it! Lol guess where that quote comes from! ^_^ Lol jk

MidnightTune36: Ah, once again...true.

Swiping Monocles: Lol that's funny too! You should watch it!

Aya-Italover: Don't be so certain...

Well, I can see no one hated the last little cliffie, neh? ^_^ Makes me happy~! Well...not much to say this time, so let's carry on with Chapter 10~!

* * *

Chapter 10

Hichigo looked out the window at the soft white snow. _It's been almost a week since I woke up..._he thought. _And god knows how long I was actually asleep..._He could barely recall the past few days because of his sickness. He flinched as Ichigo opened the bedroom door. "Do ya have to sneak around?" he asked.

"Glad to see that you've gotten your pissy personality back." Ichigo grumbled as he walked over with a thermometer. At first he tried to push it away, but Ichigo gave him a frustrated look. "Look, if I don't take your temp, you can't leave this room. Doc's orders."

"Don't you mean a Doc's _student's_ orders?" Hichigo snapped, but took the thermometer and shoved it in his mouth. When Ichigo pulled it out, he let out a sigh of elief.

"98.6. Yippe, now I don't have to worry about your cranky ass in my room 24/7." Ichigo said. Hichigo just gave a snort and climbed out of the bed. The moment he did, he crumpled onto the ground. Ichigo caught him before he hit the floor. "However, be careful. You've been in bed for almost two weeks now. So you haven't used your legs in awhile."

"No shit Sherlock." Hichigo sighed as he pushed Ichigo away. "I'm getting a shower." Ichigo wanted to help him, but the odd look in the albino's eyes told him to stay away.

_Something's troubling him...and I want to know what it is..._he thought. _But...if he tells me...what am I going to say?_

* * *

Hichigo stood in the shower, allowing the lukewarm water fall down his back. He closed his eyes, only to have memories pass through his vision. _No...this isn't happening to me...not again..._he told himself. He pounded the wall with clenched fists. _Why did I survive? I'd be better off dead! Ichigo...would be better off if I was dead..._He slid down onto his knees, the water pounding his head. _Ichigo...he wants answers...but what should I say to him? If I tell him...tell him about my past...will he laugh, just like everyone else?_ He shivered at the idea. He clutched his chest as his heart began to thunder in his chest. _No...he's different...but still..._He shook his head and slowly stood up. _I want to tell him...I want to trust him...but how can I?_

* * *

Ichigo watched as Hichigo slowly came downstairs, gripping the railing so he wouldn't lose his balance. "The shower help?" Ichigo asked.

"Considerably." Hichigo replied evenly, plopping down on the couch, allowing himself to sink into the leather. "Why?" Ichigo gave him s confused look as he sat down on the couch as well.

"Why what?"

"Why did you save me?" He sat up and locked eyes with Ichigo, causing him to freeze. There was true curiocity in his eyes. "Why did you do it? You didn't have to save me...in fact, you shouldn't have."

"And why not?" Ichigo asked. "I know I was pissed at you, but I'm the kind of person who can't just sit when there is someone in trouble; especially when it's my fault they ran off." Hichigo sat there.

"It was none of your buisness what I do with my life. If I want to throw it away, why not let me?" he asked. Ichigo stood up sharply, his eyes glaring.

"You wanna know why? I've been on the path that you're on now! I almost made the same fucking mistake you're trying to make! So I understand what your pain feels like! I don't want anyone to feel that pain! Especially you!"

"And why the fuck not? You don't understand what I've been through! You may think our experiences are the same, but it isn't fucking true!" Hichigo snapped back, his eyes swimming with emotion. Ichigo only stood there, stunned. "Did _your_ dad die because you were sick? Did _your_ mom throw you out because you were gay? Did _your_ boyfriend die because of some over possesive freak? NO!" Ichigo backed up some as the pure anger and sadness coming from the albino hit him like a soundwave. "No, and that's why you'll _never_ understand! NO ONE DOES!" He grabbed Ichigo by the collar of his t-shirt. "Nobody fucking gives a shit about me!" He repeated the sentence constantly, his screams slowly turning into sobs as he buried his face in Ichigo's shirt. Ichigo wrapped his arms around Hichigo's waist, slowly swaying back and forth.

"I care..." he whispered. "Now...will you tell me? So I can try to understand?" he asked softly. Hichigo nodded as he led them both over to the couch.

* * *

"When I...I was born, my mother hated me. She was a christan, and thought my eyes meant I was possesd by some...demon." Hichigo started as Ichigo came back from the kitchen with some hot coco. "But my father loved me...I'm sure he did. But...when I was five...I got really sick. At the same time...we learned that my dad had cancer." Ichigo handed him his cup and he took it, had a quick sip, before placing it on the table next to the couch. "But I had to be rushed to the emergency room. My dad said that my health came before his own...he died while I was recuperating." Ichigo wanted to say something.

"I...I'm sorry." he whispered. He was surprised when Hichigo let out a short laugh.

"That's when it all started. My mother was furious with me ever since then. I was seven when I started...checking to see if I ever existed. To my mom, I was a monster, to others, a ghost. My pain was the only way to see if I was even truly there." Hichigo grabbed his cup again and took a bigger gulp of his coco, letting it scald his tongue. "I realizd I was gay when I got a crush on Grimmjow."

"Grimmjow?"

"The absolutly hottest guy in middle school. He was everything anyone would want. To my surprise...he began hitting on me. For once...I felt needed. But something felt off about it. I was too...naive at the time to realize it though." Hichigo sighed. "When I told my mom, she instantly disowned me and threw me out in five minutes flat. Barely enough time to grab my stuff." Ichigo felt his grip tighten on his cup. How could someone treat their own son like this? "I ran to his house, crying. He comforted me...gave me a place to stay and everything. But...in my case, it was too good to be true. The beatings started a week later." Ichigo watched as he stood up, sliding off the thin sweater Ichigo had leant him.

"No, you don't need to-" He was cut off when he saw the scars. They trailed from his shoulder blades down to below the waistband of his pants. He was surprised he didn't notice them before. "Oh my god..."

"Let's say he didn't dig his _nails_ into my skin during sex..." Hichigo whispered. "He was horrible and possesive. I fled that place and tried to head back home. My mom had tried to get me back home, saying sorry constantly in text messages. I went back...only to have the door slammed in my face when she learned what I did with him." He continued. "Well...one night, I decided to end it all. My life felt like a living hell. That was when..."

"When you met Kaien." Ichigo said. He nodded. "I was standing on a bridge, ready to jump. I did, letting myself sink under it's swift currents. He had been passing by and saw me leap in. He dragged me out and took me to his house." He looked at the now empty coco cup. "He...he was so _ideal_. I loved him so much...he made the pain go away. He...he made me see myself in others eyes. I wasn't a ghost anymore...I was Hichigo Shirosaki."

"Shiro..." For some odd reason, Ichigo felt a little jealous of Kaien. But that's when he remembered his promise. _I'm here now...not Kaien...I promised to take care of you..._he thought the words he so desperatly felt like he needed to say.

"But...that changed the night I was attacked and...raped. It wasn't a coincidence...Kaien paid the price for a stupid mistake I made in the past." Hichigo looked at the floor, tears prickling the corner of his eyes. "It wasn't fair...so that's why..."

"That's why you're not open with me, isn't it?" Hichigo looked up to see Ichigo smiling. "It's ok though. I'm not Kaien, and no one knows your here other than me, my dad, and my sisters."

"But...but Kaien...no one knew then too. And still...he was-" He suddenly caught off by a soft finger on his pale lips.

"I just told you, you dumbass. I'm not Kaien. However..." He then removed his finger, kissing Hichigo gently on the lips. Hichigo didn't move, stunned and oddly...content. "...I still care for you as much as he did, I'm sure..." He said as he backed away. Hichigo slowly raised a pale hand to storke Ichigo's cheek, smiling for the first time in awhile.

"Hey, guess what?" Ichigo gave him a confused stare as Hichigo leaned in and kissed him back. "The feeling's mutual..."

* * *

Chapter 10 end

So...satisfied yet? *cricket whistles* Didn't think so...-_- Well, review please?


	11. Chapter 11

Response to reviews~!

miszxbrii: Well, I'll do my best for ya! ^_^

Tiana Misoro: People do that all the time...we just don't know or hear about it. But what the hell do I know?

Please reply: Lol liked the name there. I always reply! Knowing me, eh? How many of my fics have ya read?

Strawberry-Ringo: Like Strawberry Shortcake! Roflmao

Kobato00: Oh hells yes!

Angelchan2012: Doesn't he almost always?

Swiping Monocles: It made me do the same! Omfg we must be twins! *overreaction* ^_^

MidnightTune60: *pouts and hides in corner, anime gloom cloud overhead*

aira-chan: Sorry...but I have no intention of a beta. I am a beta. lol I know I make mistakes sometimes, but that's because my Microsoft is on the fritz! XP

herRhi-chan: Bloody? No...Sex? Maybe...^_^

Ok...there will be smex in this chappie! Just to make y'all happy for my long updates! Falling still has a ways to go, but we're getting there! Ok...Chapter 11 comence now! ^_^

* * *

Chapter 11:

Ichigo was amazed by how...different Hichigo was acting. Hichigo had instantly attached his lips with his own, trying to pry his lips open for entrance. Ichigo was so taken off guard that he couldn't resist and moaned as the inside of his mouth was invaded by Hichigo's tongue. He wrapped his with the albino's, his hands gripping into his snow white hair as tightly as he could. He could feel Hichigo's fingers under his shirt, trailing his nails down his tanned skin. He let out a soft squeak as Hichigo teased one of his nipples, a smile spreading across the albino's lips. "Ya like that, eh?" he whispered against Ichigo's lips.

"Ngh...I...I didn't expect you to be so...so..." Ichigo tried speaking as Hichigo slowly slid his shirt over him, revealing his lithe, tanned form. Hichigo slowly moved past Ichigo's ear, his hot breath sending Ichigo's rational mind out the window.

"So dominant?" Hichigo breathed, licking his earlobe gently. Ichigo closed his eyes as Hichigo's hands trailed down towards the bulge in his pants. Ichigo flinched slightly at the invasion, but didn't complain, only moaned. "Consider it my...actual personality..." He slowly undid the belt buckle on Ichigo's jeans, grinning as the teen moved just right for him to slid them off, along with the annoying boxers. Ichigo felt himself being pushed down into the soft couch, Hichigo hovering above him, both pale hands on either side of his head.

"N...no...not he-" He was cut off as he was suddenly lifted into the air.

"You're right...too small a space..." Hichigo whispered into his damp ear. Before Ichigo could so much as react, he found himself on his bed, Hichigo now minus a shirt. He stared at the albino's chest. There were a few more scars on his chest from his past, and other...more recent scars.

_Did he...cut his chest too?_ he wondered fuzzily. Hichigo leaned in cloesly, trailing kisses down his neck and shoulder. "Mmm...Hichigo..."

"Tsk, what'd I say? Call me...Shiro." he whispered huskily. He bit down on Ichigo's shoulder, causing him to cry out in pleasure.

"Shiro! J-Just fuck me, no foreplay!" he snapped slightly. He heard a soft chuckle from above him as something touched his lips gently.

"Suck then, oh impatient one..." Hichigo teased. For a few moments, Ichigo wasn;t sure if this was truly Hichigo...or was this the true Hichigo, the one that was locked away because of his fears and pain? If so...then he didn't mind at all. He pulled Hichigo's fingers into his mouth, smiling as the albino moaned softly. "Quite the suction there, my Ichigo..." Ichigo froze at the phrase.

_His Ichigo..._ "And you have some talent...my Shiro..." Shiro let the words roll around in his lust filled mind. It didn't sound possesive, despite the actual phrase. It sounded loving...and true. And Hichigo couldn't have cared less. He slowly removed his fingers from Ichigo's mouth, slowly spreading his tanned legs wide.

"It'll hurt some...but just relax..." he whispered. Ichigo just looked at him, hooded eyes glaring back at him. He smiled and pushed the first finger in. Ichigo cried out in pleasure, his back arching slightly. Hichigo waited for Ichigo to adjust before shoveing a second finger in, and then a third. Ichigo writhed underneath him, enjoying the penetration from within. His eyes widened and he cried out as Hichigo hit his sweet spot, toes curling into the sheets.

"Ngh! H-Hit that a-again Shiro!" He called. Hichigo smirked and struck it again...then again...and again. By the time Hichigo withdrew, Ichigo was seeing stars. Hichigo positioned himself carefully between Ichigo's legs.

"Are you ready?" he asked. He smiled as Ichigo wrapped his legs tightly around his waist. "So be it." He thrust his hips forward, smiling as Ichigo bucked, allowing him to go in deep. Ichigo cried out as Hichigo pounded into him, hitting his prostrate every time he bucked.

"Shiro~! I'm...I'm...I'm gonna c-cum!" He cried out.

"Already? Hmm...Ya can't till I say so..." Hichigo whispered seductivly to the writhing orange head. Ichigo whined quietly, hoping the albino didn;t hear him. The last thing he wanted to do was beg aloud, his personality wouldn't let him. Instead, he wrapped his legs around the albino's waist tighter, pushing him forward slightly. "Ok then...I understand Ichigo..." Hichigo thrusted one more time and Ichigo screamed, releasing all over the two of them. Hichigo wasn't far behind;wuickly releasing after one more thrust deep inside the teen. Hichigo stayed above him for a few seconds, trying to catch his breath.

"That...that was...interesting..."Ichigo panted as Hichigo plopped down next to him, a content look on his face. He smiled as he turned to face Ichio, placing a pale hand on his hot, blushing face.

"Yes...yes it was..." He breathed. Ichigo smiled as he touched the albino's hand softly, pulling it towards his lips and kissing his knuckles.

"I love you...Hichigo." he whsipered. Hichigo smiled as Ichigo curled up close to his chest, quickly falling asleep. Hichigo wrapped an arm arnound his waist, burying his head in his soft, wet orange hair.

"I love you Ichigo...thank you..." He whispered, quickly following him into the sweet abyss of sleep.

* * *

Nnoritora glanced around as more snow fell silently on the ground. Double checking to make sure he hadn't been seen, he quickly ran towards the cemetary. _Man, is he gonna be pleased with this piece of news!_ he thought, his face twisting into a creepy smile. When he reached the top of the hill, a pale, dark haired figure stood there, waiting for him.

"You are late." he said, his voice monoton. Nnoritora let out a huff.

"Snow covers the fucking streets for god's sakes! Of _course_ I'm late!" he replied. The dark haired figure said nothing, simply stared out at the town below.

"So...what is your message?" he asked.

"I know exactly who is housing the boss's property." The pale figure raised an eyebrow at that.

"Oh really? And who may it be?" He asked. Nnoritora smirked.

"His family owns the local clinic. Ichigo Kurosaki..."

* * *

Chapter 11 end.

So...evil? Nice? Both? Hmm...so many ways to describe this short, but slightly enjoyable chappie~! I promise things'll pick up! anywho...review? O.o


	12. Chapter 12

Response to reviews~!

Tiana Misoro: I thought it was Demon Hunters...

U replied: Wait...what's your penname? Me respond to all unless you reviewed and the fic is 'complete'.

Kobato00: *dances to the dramatic music*

miszxbrii: Lol...what?

Swiping Monocles: Sweet...and sticky on their art. It's like literary honey! XD

TTfanTT: I've made a HiciIchi fan! *faints*

deatheagle202: Lol thanks a ton! *gives you towel to wipe up drool*

Aya-ItaLover: Lazy~! XD I always log in! XP Lol jk!

Strawberry-Ringo: I've seen it spelled so many ways...don't confuse me! And of course you love it; that's probably the _only_ reason you read my fics; 99% chance of smex. XD jk

Eternal Love's Eclipse: Hmm...ya maybe right! XD

MidnightTune36: Yuppers!

herRhi-chan: Of course you do...Xd

gollumsfriend: Glad ya do! And I like your penname! Any Lord of the Rings fan is welcome!

Ok, we is gonna do a time skip of sorts! Not too long in the future or anything, promise! Congrats for Strawberry-Ringo for being the 100th Review! *gives chcolate cookies and rum* And for Eternal Love's Eclipse for not wanting to breath the perfect 100 and telling me so! *gives the same thing* Well...instead of running off my mouth, let's read! onward to Chapter 12!

* * *

Chapter 12

Seven months later...

High school life over and college life on the way, Ichigo can't think of any other reason to be excited. Well, other than the fact Hichigo would be going with him. After they had admitted their feelings for each other, they've done their very best to stay together. The best thing about their relationship is the fact that Hichigo no longer cuts himself. For once in his life, he can feel again, he had told Ichigo. Ichigo was so glad to be a part of that. Right now, they were packing up, getting ready for college life. "Do ya think we'll have more than one roomate?" Ichigo asked the albino.

"Dunno. But if we do, we'll kick 'em out when we have 'biology'." he replied. The way he had said it so matter of factly made Ichigo laugh.

"I didn't know we were taking classes in biology." He said.

"Oh? Then maybe it was Sex Ed or something...either way, only to per study group." Both of them started laughing at the college jokes. Hichigo slammed his suitcase shut and moved it off the bed, plopping down on the spot it had been. "So...are you excited Ichigo?"

"Of course I am!" Ichigo replied. "But...will you be ok? I mean, my dad is more than willing to help you with tuition f you can't-"

"I told ya I could handle it, and I did." Hichigo replied. Ichigo rolled his eyes. No matter what, Hichigo still wanted to be independent.

Must be what happens when you live alone for so long...he decided. "Well, no matter what, we'll stick together, right?" Ichigo almost yelped when a cool hand slid around his waist, palying with his jeans slightly.

"Of course, my Ichigo..." he whispered. "It's a promise..."

* * *

On the far end of town, a black haired teen stood in a large crowd. More people attending this college it seems...he thought. We'll blend in beautifully here...

"How do I look?" The teen turned to see his boss wearing the college clothes.

"Rather interesting sir." He replied. His boss only laughed.

"C'mon, Ulquiorra! Ya can treat me normally here. After all..." He walked forward to join the crowd, a dsiturbing grin on his face. "We _are_ students, correct?"

* * *

Ichigo sighed as he looked at their dorm room. "The beds look horrible..." he grumbled. Hichigo just shrugged and placed his suitcase on the bed.

"Oh well. We'll put them together later." Hichigo smiled at the blush that spread across Ichigo's face. He truly was, to Hichigo, his savior. It had taken time, but he was able to open up to Ichigo and his family. He could very clearly remember the final time he had tried to see if he was still real. He had attempted to walk to a bookstore without wearing his entire black attire, and some people had actually taken what he had bought and shoved him in the mud. After a few rounds of being kicked in the chest, he had run back to his garage and attempted to cut himself. He didn't get far. Ichigo had heard abouth the entire ordeal and seized the razor and tossed it in a huge trashcan just as the truck came down the street to pick it up.

_"You don't need to do that anymore, Hichigo."_ he had told him. He only called him by his actual name when he was serious. _"If you ever question your existence, come to me. I promise to show you that you're still here." _And he had sealed that promise with a kiss to each scar he had made before kissing him full on the lips.

_I had needed that..._he thought. _I'm glad he's here..._

"Are you paying attention to anything I'm saying?" Hichigo blinked to see Ichigo standing in front of him, hands on his hips, an annoyed look on his face. "Or are you off in some fantasy land?" Hichigo smiled at that comment.

"No, I think I'm in reality, however, it's oddly close to my fantasy land." His smile widened. "The only difference is that you're fully clothed." Ichigo's face grew even redder and he shoved Hichigo in the chest.

"Pervert..." he grumbled. Hichigo moved closer to him, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Aw, you know you love me..." he whispered in his ear before moving back and sealing any remark he was going to make with a kiss. Ichigo melted against him, tugging at his silver hair softly. As Hichigo deepend it, his tugs became harsher, opening his mouth to give the albino entry. Ichigo moaned as Hichigo pushed his tongue inside, batling his for dominance. As usual, Hichigo won the battle and slowly pushed Ichigo backwards, black nails digging into his tanned skin.

"N-not now..." Ichigo murmered as they broke the connection of their lips. "W-we need to g-get our class lists..." Hichigo sighed in annoyence, but didn't argue the point.

"Fine, but ya know ya owe me here..." he grinned as Ichigo simply nodded, a playful grin on his face.

"Let's see you try to keep your voice down so no one hears us 'studying biology'." He replied. Hichigo laughed at the comment.

"What the hell ever. You know I'm the one that always ends up topping in the end." he laughed. "Besides, you make such cute little noises..." Ichigo sighed. Hichigo was impossible, but that's one of the reasons he loved him so much.

* * *

When he got his schedule, he felt slightly dissapointed. Since Hichigo's IQ was just about five numbers higher than his, he ended up in accelerated classes. Ichigo noticed he had only one 'class' with him; lunch, when they ate back in the dorms. _Yeah, that and biology..._he thought with a smile.

"Heh, well you're a fairly interesting face." Ichigo turned to see a man with teal hair looking at him with a devilish smile on his face. "What's your name?"

"I-Ichigo Kurosaki." He stammered. The man was finely built, his eyes and hair matching perfectly. He almost reminded Ichigo of some kind of wild animal.

"Heh, interesting nickname. The name's Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. Pleasure to meet ya." He held out his hand. Ichigo took it and shook it, surprised at the strength of the handshake.

_He's as tough as he looks..._he thought. _And his name..._It sounded familiar to him, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it.

"Hey, can I see your schedule?" Grimmjow asked. Ichigo handed it to him and the teal haired student laughed.

"What is it?"

"You and I have a ton of classes together." He replied, handing Ichigo his schedule. "Maybe you and I can be study buddies!"

"Uh...sure." Ichigo agreed. The student's odd eagerness made him feel slightly uncomfortable. That, and the sheer hotnes of him. He shook his head. _No...if I ever did something like that to Hichigo, he'd never heal up again..._he thought. Although Hichigo was 'better', he was still fragile, Ichigo could tell. One wrong move, and they'd be right back where they started, only he'd be further down the dark hole of despair. He trusts me...if I shatter that trust...

"Hey, did ya hear me?" Ichigo looked up again to see teal eyes staring back, slight worry in them. "I asked ya what room you're in."

"Um...room 156." he replied quickly. He watched as Grimmjow pulled out a pen and scribbled the number on his schedule. "What's yours?"

"Room 6. I'm pretty far away from ya..." he sighed. "Well, I'll see ya tomorrow!" He smiled and walked away, waving as he went.

* * *

Once Grimmjow had left, he met up with Ulquiorra. "Did you get his room number, Boss?" he asked.

"Of course. I don't think my little white cherry's mentioned me much around him at all." He said with a grin. "He's rather...fresh looking."

"So what do you wish for me to do?"

"Since he's never met you before, start talking to Shiro. He'll have no idea that you work with me. When the time comes, keep him away from Ichigo as we study... until I make my move." Ulquiorra nodded.

"Yes sir." Grimmjow smiled as he watched Ichigo and Hichigo meet up, hugging.

_You're mine, Hichigo Shirosaki...no one can have you._ He thought. _Unless they, too, belong to me..._

* * *

Chapter 12 end.

So...like, no like? Looks like things are gonna get rather sticky around here...XD Let's shot for 150 my friends! Ok...review for me?


	13. Chapter 13

Response to reviews~!

Angelchan2012: You are 100% up for a threesom, neh?

miszxbrii: *shivers* You are scaring me...and out of curiosity...what is your pic of?

Strawberry-Ringo: Yes...yes we do...lol

Eternal Love's Eclipse: Oh yeah? Tune in next time, for the authoress herself may just give you an interview! XD

No named person: Is it you, Tiana? Your name and pic aren;t there...DX Anyways, icecream is good too!

Swiping Monocles: Who doesn't enjoy a good college joke? :D

herRhi-chan: Lol yeah...him and sharp objects do not get along well...XD

deatheagle202: We shall see...XD

Ok, people seem to be enjoying this story, but sadly, it is also coming to it's close. All things must end sooner or later. (although, I think most of you would prefer the latter, correct? ^_^) Anyways...shall we throw in some agnst awesomeness? Ok! Here's Chapter 13~!

* * *

Chapter 13

They had been in college for over three months now and needless to say, they both felt swamped by all the work. They barely had any time to each other. Whenever some really hard stuff would come up, Grimmjow always wanted to come down to Ichigo and Hichigo's dorm and study. Oddly enough, Hichigo had told Ichigo he had found a study partner as well; another albino like him named Ulquiorra Cifer. "He's ok once ya get to know him. Maybe we should all meet together at some point." Hichigo had suggested.

"I dunno. My study mate doesn't wanna meet a whole lot of people..." he grumbled. He didn't even want Ichigo to tell hs roomate and boyfriend his name! I wonder why...

"Ah yes, your mysterious, odd study buddy that I've never seen. I wonder why he's so against me seeing him." Hichigo wondered. Ichigo wondered the same thing. "Whatever. Then you, me and Ulquiorra will go somewhere. I'm sure he'd appreciate it." He said. Ichigo nodded and fished in his wallet.

"I have about...50 dollars. That's enough for some ice cream." he suggested.

"Done! I'll tell Ulquiorra to meet us at the parlor tomorrow for some hard earned ice cream!" he announced. Ichigo just shook his head. His boyfriend did have an odd tendency of being over enthusiastic, but he loved him all the same. It had occured to him that he had never seen him at a school of any kind, and this rather 'fun' side of him was new to him.

_Guess it's true; you do have a different personality at school than at home..._he grinned. "If you don't hurry, you'll be late with your 'study date'." He teased. Hchigo looked at the clock and his eyes widened.

"Aww shit!" He grabbed his books and gave Ichigo a chaste kiss on the lips before running out the door.

* * *

Ulquiorra sat down in his room, feeling slightly nervous. Ever since him and Hichigo had started studying, he had been feeling...different around the albino. They had a lot in common he had realized, both being scrutinized for their apperence and...sexuality. He wasn't exactly sure if this was his boss's plan,but ither way, it wasn't good. His phone went off suddenly. He glanced down at the text message.

_Is he there yet?_ the screen said. He typed quickly on his phone.

_No, but soon. I think I still need some time, having him warm up._ He typed and hit send. In fact, he knew he didn't have to wait any longer. He just...didn't want the albino to suffer what his boss had in mind.

_My patience is wearing thin, Ulqui. Finsih this job by tomorrow evening, understood?_ Ulquiorra felt himself shiver at how ominous the text felt.

_Yes boss._ He texted back and shut the phone off just as there was a swift knock on the door.

"Special delivery! One serving of kick ass learning skills with extra intellegince on the side." Ulquiorra had to hold back a laugh as he let the albino in. "How ya doing to night, Ulquiorra?"

"Fine. You?" he asked. Hichigo nodded and sat on the floor. Ulquiorra reached into their mini fridge and pulled out two Pepsi. He handed one to Hichigo and sat down next to him.

"Good, actually. I haven't been able to study some of my favorite classes in awhile." He sighed. Ulquiorra gave him a confused look before he got the joke and began laughing. "So..your roomate is out again?"

"Yeah...his asthma's bad." Ulquiorra sighed. He now hated the lie he'd been telling Hichigo for months, and why he did he didn't know. As they studied quietly,Hichigo and Ulquiorra chatted their way through the notes from their English classes.

"Hey, Ulquiorra, I have a question for ya." Hichigo brought up.

"Hmm?"

"Do ya wanna come with me and Ichigo and have some ice cream tomorrow after classes?" he asked. Ulquiorra didn't respond for a moment before nodding subconsiously. "Great! I'll tell him tomorrow during lunch." He said, getting excited. He quickly gathered his things and stood up. "See ya tomorrow Ulquiorra." He said as he bolted out the door. Once he was gone, Ulquiorra felt like he would collapse because of the pain in his chest.

_God...what's wrong with me?_ he wondered. _This is a simple task; get him to trust you...then prevent him from catching the boss until the right moment!_ He plopped down on his bed, feeling sick with himself. _So why...why is this becoming so difficult?_

* * *

The next day, Ichigo and Hichigo waited patiently outside the ice cream parlor for Ulquiorra. "YOu said he'd show up." Ichigo said.

"He will. He's good at keeping his promises." Hichigo commented.

"Hey guys..." Hichigo turned to see Ulquiorra walking up, a shy look on his face.

"Hey, what took ya?" Hichigo asked, patting his back. "Wait...you don't look so good... are you feeling ok?" He asked.

"Yeah...just ate something bad, that's all." he said, pushing Hichigo's hand off of his shoulder. "Are we going in or what?" he asked.

"Sure. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki by the way." Ichigo said, holding out his hand. Ulquiorra took and and they shook.

"Ulquiorra Cifer..." he mumbled. He wasn't sure why he was acting so nervous. The three of them walked in and ordered ice cream.

"So you like vanilla?" Ichigo asked Hichigo as he ordered.

"Of course I do...but strawberry is my absolute fave." He said, leaning down and kissing Ichigo's cheek. Ichigo could feel his face grow hot.

"C'mon, Shiro! Not in front of Ulquiorra!" he whispered.

"Oh, I don't mind. It seems you gusy are...rather close." He chuckled.

"Yeah...I owe him my life, ya could say." Hichigo said, causing Ichigo's blush to deepen.

"C'mon...cut it out Shiro!" He said. Hichigo and Ulquiorra both laughed as they sat down and ate their ice cream. They all chatted away as the clock ticked slowly by, talking about everything they all had in common. After abouth three hours, their ice cream long gone, Hichigo looked at his watch and groaned.

"If we don't get back soon, we'll be in deep shit..." he grumbled. The three of them looked at their phones and gasped.

"We were supposed to be on campus again an hour ago!" Ulquiorra stated.

"Aww shit..." Ichigo grumbled. "Well, let's see how good our sneaking skills have gotten." He grinned. The three of them quickly ran out of the parlor, and made it onto the campus grounds. Being as quiet as possible, the three of them opened the fire escape door, Ulquiorra tricking the alarm so it wouldn't go off.

"Ok...go you two!" He whispered. As they snuck in, Ulquiorra slowly closed the door. Sadly, his small trick stopped working and the alarm went off.

"Busted!" Hichigo screamed as they dashed up the stairs together. The moment they reached the top of the stairs, the principle was standing there.

"'Busted', is correct." He said. "My office...NOW."

* * *

"The three of you are in a lot of trouble...especially the one who rigged the alarm." The principle said, stalking back in forth in front of the three of them. They stood there, shifting from foot to foot nervously. "So...which one of you was it?" he asked. He pointed a pencil at Ulquiorra. "Was it you? I know how much you enjoy 'tinkering' with things."

"S-sir...I...I uh..."

"It was me sir." Both of them turned to see Ichigo raising his hand. "I was trying something out that I had read in a book. It worked, but when Hichigo and Ulquiorra heard something, they spooked me coming down the stairs and I accidentally busted it. I'm sorry, but they aren't at fault at all." he explained his lie. Ulquiorra and Hichigo stood there in slight shock.

"Is this true?" The principle asked, turning to face the two albino's. The only thing they could do was nod. "Very well. I am glad you came clean, but you still need to be punished. Ichigo Kurosaki, no classes for at least a week."

"A week?" He gasped. When the principle gave him a harsh stare, he just nodded. "Yes sir..."

"The three of you may go back now." As the three of them left the principle's office, Ulquiorra couldn't help but stare at the orange haired teen.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why'd you do that?" he asked. "You wouldn't have been suspended if you hadn't-"

"But by the way he made it sound, you would have been thrown out." he replied, cutting him off. Ulquiorra just sighed. It was true. If he had told the truth, he would have been. He was always getting in trouble for his inventive habits. "Friends help each other out, that's all that matters." Ulquiorra looked back up at him to see him smile gently at him.

_Friends..._he thought. He had only known the teen for one day, and he already was calling him his friend? What the hell is going on? _Friends... _"Yeah...thanks." He felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out and glanced at it nervously.

_It's time, Ulqui. When Ichigo gets down here, make sure my little cherry doesn't get here until I send the blank txt..._the screen blared. He felt his chest tighten painfully again.

"Hey, Shiro? We need to study for that test tomorrow..." he whispered.

"Ah, yeah! I forgot all about that!" He said and kissed Ichigo on the lips. Ulquiorra felt sick watching this scene, but not because it was two boys kissing.

_I'm about to be the cause of their seperation..._he thought. "Um...sorry about this Ichigo..." he mumbled.

"No sweat, Ulquiorra. It'll be ok. I'll live." he said with that same smile he had given him a few moments before.

_No...no you won't..._ he thought.

"Well, c'mon, let's go!" Hichigo said, taking Ulquiorra's hand and practically dragging him up the stairs.

* * *

"Man, I feel bad for Ichigo...but I'm glad he did that for ya." Hichigo said as Ulquiorra poured them some soda. Very carefully, he dropped something in one of the cups, watching it dissolve quickly. "But to be honest, I was about to do that myself."

"Why?"

"The same reason Ichigo did it; we're friends, yes? I'm allowed to lie every once in awhile to protect my friends!" he laughed. Ulquiorra chuckled nervously, handing Hichigo one of the cups. He watched as Hichigo drank it and he shifted nervously. "You'd do something similar for me, right?" he asked. Ulquiorra nodded, feeling the irony behind his question. He watched as Shiro stood up and wobbled slightly.

"F-feel tired?" he asked nervously. Hichigo nodded.

"Guess I had more of an adrenaline rush in me than I thought..." he said, his voice woozy. Ulquiorra walked up and caught him just as he collapsed into unconsiousness.

_Forgive me...but I'm doing you a favor, Hichigo..._he thought, his chest once again tightening painfully.

* * *

Ichigo groaned as he stared at one of his books. God...suspended for a week...he thought and rubbed his hand through his hair.

"You don't look so good there, Ichigo..." He turned, only to lock with blue teal eyes.

"Gr-Grimmjow! I didn't kn-know you were coming down here!" he gasped.

"Heh, why not? You and I are friends, right?" he asked. Ichigo gave him a slightly puzzled look. Something was wrong. He slowly sneaked out of the chair, trying to put some space between him and the other teen.

"Y-yes, but c'mon, gimme one night's rest!" He laughed nervously. Grimmjow smiled and walked up and placed both hands on the side of Ichigo's head, effectivly pinning him to the wall. "Gr-Grimmjow?" He gasped as something was shoved into his upper arm. "Wh-what the fuck?"

"Relax...it spreads qucikly..." Grimmjow whispered huskily into his ear. Before he could ask what he meant, he felt his legs suddenly grow weak, his eyes growing heavy. Grimmjow grinned and picked him up slowly, walking him over to his bed.

"Wh...what are you d...doing...?" he asked, his voice sluured. For some odd reason, every time Grimmjow touched him, and seemed to light his skin on fire, causing him to feel strangely aroused.

"Making a lovely point across to my...little white cherry." he growled, almost like a hungry animal. Ichigo didn;t get it. It felt like a haze was suddenly settling over his mind. He could vaguely feel his jeans being torn off of his body, as well as his boxars.

"N-no...st-stop it..." he said, trying to get his body to react the way he wanted it too. But sadly, it was doing the opposite. In fact, all it wanted to react to any touch that his assailant was granting. "Ngh..." He groaned as hefelt something grab his member, stroaking it gently.

"Aww...why should I when ths is going so beautifully?" Grimmjow asked, leaning in close to Ichigo's face. Ichigo tried to clear his head, but when Grimmjow moved in close to him, the fog settled back into his mind.

_What...what is going...on with me...?_ he thought as Grimmjow's lips locked with his own.

* * *

Ulquiorra paced his room impatiently, getting nervous every second Hichigo lay unconsious on his bed. _Boss never said that it was that effective!_ he thought. _Oh please...please wake up so I can explain before...before..._His phone suddenly went off. He checked it to realize it was only a blank text. _Oh...oh god... _

"Uhhh..." He turned quickly to see Hichigo stirring on the bed.

_Almost perfect timing..._he thought, his chest once again growing tight, this time making him want to get sick.

"How...how long was I out?" Hichigo asked, rubbing his head, trying to will away his headache.

"N-not very long..." Ulquiorra stuttered. _I have to prevent him from...from leaving this room!_ he thought frantically. Hichigo moaned and looked at the clock.

"Holy shit! Ichigo's gonna slaughter me!" he snapped, bolting off the bed and heading out the door before Ulquiorra could even react.

"W-wait Shiro!" Ulquiorra called, chasing after him. He ran after, him trying to get him to stop. "It's late, and you just woke up! Can't you just...just stay in my room tonight or something?"

"Why? What's wrong with me heading back to my room?" He asked. Ulquiorra froze.

"L-look, Hichigo...there's something I really need to tell you. It's about Ichigo..." He whispered, but hiw words reached the albino too late. As he opened the door, he suddenly stood very rigid. Ulquiorra reached around to try and see what was going on. What he saw threatened to make him sick. Ichigo was deep throating Grimmjow, just as the tanned teen was about to cum inside his mouth. _Oh...oh my god..._

"I...Ichigo?" Ulquiorra looked up to see Hichigo's entire body shaking. He quickly looked back at the bed, just in time to see Ichigo suddenly choke and spit out Grimmjow's member, staring at him in utter shock.

"Sh-Shiro?" The moment he said his name, Hichigo took off, not once looking back. Ulquiorra turned around, only to have Ichigo by pass him while putting a robe on. He could hear Ichigo calling after him. He slowly turned back into the room to see a triumphent smile on Grimmjow's face.

"Nice work Ulquiorra. Looks like I win." he said, sending shivers down the albino's spine.

What...what have I done?

* * *

Chapter 13 end

I am soooooooooo evil~! Do ya hate me? Of course y'all do! Well...review please! Your anger shall be used to make smores! XD I won't be able to work on anything for awhile, so you shall have to be satisfied with this! Byes~!


	14. Chapter 14

Response to reviews~!

KawaiiBerry-chan: Well...the chibi's are crazy; can I meet them? lol

Tiana Misoro: NO! *grabs the key to your closet and locks your weapons away* Need him still!

Angelchan2012: I know...evil, right?

Swiping Monocles: Lol...true. Wow, I forgot that was Grimm's nickname! XD

Strawberry-Ringo: Because you secretly love me. *flat out* JK

Eternal Love's Eclipse: Hmm...who knows?

miszxbrii: Well...it looked odd. lol Well, now your pic is of the smexy Ichi~! *drools*

Kobato00: Yup...and sorry...

kitsunelover300: EEK!...Wait, do you mean Kingdom Hearts Xion? Or is it someone else?

MZ Neko-chan SP: Yup...XP

gollumsfriend: Lol, sorry, no can do here!

MidnightTune36: Lool...yup. Hmm...true saying...except for when your screaming for pleasure...sorry, TMI...^_^

Ok, sad news folks. Like I said in Demon Hunters Chap 15, the laptop is fried, so updates will be uber slow until I get a new one. I promise to update as often as I can, but it will not be easy...*sigh* Well...here's Chapter 14!

* * *

Chapter 14

Ichigo stumbled down the hallway despite the sharp pain in his back, and the ever deeper pain in his chest. He knew what Hichigo had seen, and for how long it took the albino to open up to him...he must be devastated. "Shiro! Shiro please stop!" When the albino stopped, he almost ran into him.

"I...For once...For once I..." The albino was looking at the ground. Ichigo reached out slowly to place a soothing hand on his shoulder, but the moment he touched him, he turned around violently, his golden/black eyes glowing with anger and pain. "For once...I thought I had something right!"

"Sh-Shiro..."

"Fuck you! I mthought that, for one time since...since Kaien died, that I had things right! That this...this was it. I thought I could trust someone again because of you! You ended my pain! You gave me a reason to exist, to be in this world!" Hichigo screamed. "But you...you...I can't believe you!"

"Shiro, it's not what you thi-" He reached for Hichigo, but instead he received a solid punch to the face, sending him sprawling towards the ground.

"Fuck you to hell! Fuck you and everything I thought! You're no better than...than the person you were fucking with! Go all the way to fucking hell Ichigo, and never, ever, talk to me again!" He yelled, tears in his eyes and he bolted down the hall, leaving Ichigo stunned on the floor. Ichigo stood up to chase after him.

_I refuse to leave him alone like this!_ he thought. But for some odd reason, his body felt numb and heavy. _Wh...what the hell?_

"Interesting, no? Ulquiorra's great at mixing drugs." Ichigo struggled to look up, but he already knew who was standing behind him; Grimmjow. "Right now, ya can't move, and you're about ta pass out." Ichigo knew he wasn't lying. It was already becoming difficult to keep his eyelids open.

"I...I hope he...he kills you..." Ichigo whispered. Grimmjow laughed as he lifted the teen onto his shoulders.

"Not happening. I have what I want after all." He smirked as Ichigo's world faded into darkness.

* * *

Hichigo was running blindly outside, unsure of what to think or do. All he knew was that he no longer felt anything. Not the wind running in his hair, not thew sharp, wet rain stinging his cheeks, or the harsh ground beneath his bare feet, cutting the flesh. He felt nothing. _I am nothing but a ghost...I do not exist to anyone..._He thought. Desperate to feel, he dug through the garbage outside the school for something...anything, to feel. Not finding anything, he ran back inside, intent on ending this non existent reality of his.

* * *

Ulquiorra sat in his room, feeling numb. _I've ruined them...What they had..._He thought. Grimmjow had releived him and freed him from his duties to him, so now he knew what he had to do; he was just nervous about doing it. Slowly, he walked out of his room and rushed down the hallway. _I need to find Shiro!_ As he ran, he bumped into a student with a worried expression. "Hey, have you seen wither Shiro or Ichigo?" he asked.

"No...but I thought I saw Hichigo running down that way. He looked...rather upset." She said, shivering. "Was there an argument or something?"

"Maybe...I need to find him." He said and ran the way she pointed. Just as he reaached the front door to the college, he froze. Small drops of red stained the caramel colored carpet. _Was there a fight?_ He wondered. He noticed that it led a small trail towards thew bathroom. Fearing thw worst, he ran into the restroom, only to cover his mouth to prevent himself from screaming. _Oh my god..._

"Ul...Ulquiorra..." It was Hichigo. His arms were cut all the way up to his elbows, and even small cuts on his face. His pale arms were stained with blood, his eyes cloudy and blank. "Ul...Ulqui..." His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell forward. Ulquiorra barely caught him in time, watching as a huge, bloody glass shard hit the ground. When he got a better look around, he saw the mirror smashed in, blood staining the once flawless glass.

_Shiro...forgive me..._he thought, dragging the unconsious albino up the stairs.

* * *

Ichigo slowly opened his brown eyes, only to meet darkness. _Where...where am I?_ he wondered. His mind still felt groggy as he attempted to sit up. Something rattled behind him. He turned around to barely make out a set of cuffs linked to what, to him, appered to be a bedpost of some kind. _Wh...what the fuck?_

"Ah, we're awake now, eh?" He turned his head quickly to see who it was, but he couldn't see anyone. Unfortunatly, he recognized the voice.

"Grimmjow..." He tugged harshly at the cuffs, but to no avail. He hissed as the tight metal cut into his wrists, blood trickling slowly down his arms.

"Struggle all ya like there, Ichigo. It'll only get ya hurt." The bed sunk in, a hand snaking its way up his bare thigh.

_Wait...am I...?_ The realization danwed on him and he quicked swiftly, causing the other teen to growl. He found himself being shoved violently forced into the bed. "What...what do you want with me?" he asked. The next thing the older teen said sent shivers down his spine.

"I want ya...to _myself_..."

* * *

Hichigo opened his eyes wearily, only to be blinded by the light above him. _God damn these lights..._he thought. As he slowly sat up on his arms, sharp pain shot through them and he laid back down, hissing.

"Hey, you shouldn't move around so much." He turned slowly to see Ulquiorra leaning above him, worry filling his jade gaze. "You lost a lot of blood."

"Why...why did you help me?" he asked quietly. He didn't want help; he wanted an end.

"I ruined the both of you...this is my fault..." Ulquiorra sat down in a chair next to the bed, his gaze now trained on the floor.

"I didn't ask for any of yopur damned help." Ulquiorra snapped his head up.

"Who gives a shit? You're my damned friend! As is Ichigo! You have no fucking clue how hard this is for me as well! I turned him over to the insane fucker!" He screamed, leaving Hichigo wide eyed.

"Wh..what do you mean?"

"I...My father is sick in the hospital. I needed money...so Grimmjow gave me a job. He told me there were two, rather interesting people he wanted...so he told me to make a hypnotic." Ulquiorra started. "I excel at making that kind of drug. So...I made one that I knew would work. What it did...well, ya saw some of it. When injected, it numbs some of the body, and sets the hormones on fire. Makes you...sexually charged. Anyways, it wears off...almost. About three minutes after the effects wear off, it completly overtakes the body and causes you to black out." He looked up to see Hichigo's face, but it was shadowed by his long, white bangs.

"So...that was a setup?" he asked quietly. Ulquiorra nodded.

"And it would have gone smoothly...if..."

"If you didn't befriend us instead." Ulquiorra swalloed and nodded.

"I had...had to do something. So I drugged you. I had hoped that you would stay unconsious until the drug wore off, so that at least if he was kidnapped-" Instantly, Hichigo shot up, eyes wide with horror.

"Wait...he's been _kidnapped_?" he asked. Ulquiorra nodded and he felt his blood boil up. _No...no no! Not by him!_

"I'm sorry...I was trying to at least save your relationship...He wanted you two to fight...and he succeded..." Hichigo felt like shit, a deep pain now jutting through his chest.

"I couldn't feel them...Ulquiorra." He whispered. He held his bandaged arms in front of him. "Not a single cut. I thought...that it was over for me..." His hands clenched into fists despite the sharp pain that shot through his arms at the action. "But now...now there _is_ pain...but not in my arms...it's elsewhere..." He laid his hands down and clenched the sheets tightly. "I'm such an asshole."

"I'll agree to that one." He looked up to see Ulquiorra grinning.

"Very funny. C'mon, we need to find Ichigo." He tried to climb out of the bed, but Ulquiorra easily shoved him down. When his head hit the pillow, his vision grew blurry.

"Oh hell no. You aren't going anywhere until you get some rest. You lost way too much blood back there." He said firmly. "I already know where he is, and as much as I hate him being there for another second, we'll have to wait till tomorrow night."

"But do you even know what he'll do to him?" Hichigo asked, painful memories swimming to the surface of his mind.

"I can guess...but there is something I'll need to aquire first. So get some sleep, alright? I promise, we'll leave tomorrow night. And yes, I'm going with you, so no arguing." Ulquiorra headed towards the door and shut the light off. "Please Shiro...just be patient..." He whispered before shutting the door, leaving Hichigo alone in the dark. Shivering at his own unplesant memories, his mind unwillingly placed Ichigo in the same position he had been in.

_Ichigo...hold on...I'll get you out of there..._

* * *

Chapter 14 end

Sorry it's short, but the next one will be longer, promise! Well...reviews are nice, and flames will be used to burn things. (The leperucan told me so~! ...I know I didn't spell that right...XD)


	15. Chapter 15

Response to reviews~!

miszxbrii: Yes...tragic, no? I do love a good tragedy. XD

Angelchan2012: Why does everyone wanna kill him when I still need him! *takes your guns and throws them in the Ohio River*

Tiana Misoro:...The second idea is rather...interesting. Maybe I shall use it for something later...XP

HappiestUnderClouds: *cleans up confetti* Wowza what a mess...anyways, my brain did snap when it had to be trashed...DX

Aya-Italover: Umm...because my chapters are ninja's? Someone said that, but I can't remember who...^_^' Could've been you...And for the love of God, QUIT TRYING TO KILL MY ANTAGONIST!

Eternal Love's Eclipse: *sighs* All in a good days work. ^_^

Amaya21:...You _really_ don't care about how this is gonna affect Ichi and Hich, do ya? *shrugs*

kitsunelover300: roflmao Now why can't that happen in the show? *drools and nosebleeds* And then in 2 nanoseconds, it's a foursome! XP

FeelTheBeat: I hope I haven't offended you or something...

MidnightTune36: Yay, thanks! And once again...true. XD

Ok, ok! There will be three chapters left, including this one. So you can imagine how there will be some tense stuff here. XD Well, I mean, c'mon, I've gotten this far and kept ya on your seats, right? Not to mention Grimmjow's cowering in the corner of my room, shivering from the death threats. XD Well, I'll let ya read while I calm him down!

* * *

Chapter 15

Hichigo sat alone in his room on campus, shivering had been almost two days since Ichigo had been taken away. _Ichigo... _Without Ichigo in there, the room felt hauntingly cold. _Maybe it's his ghost haunting this room..._he thought, chuckling slightly, even though it was hardly funny. Not only did the cold make him miss Ichigo, but it reminded him of other, more painful things. It made him think of Grimmjow and all the things he had done to him, and was most surely doing to the orange head teen as well. That room had been cold too, as well as the chains that rubbed his flesh raw. Shivering even more and ignoring Ulquiorra's recent pleas to stay in bed until he got back, he forced himself up out of bed and ran out of the chilling room and into the hallway. _Library..._he thought. _Get your mind off of this for now..._

"Hey, where ya off ta in such a hurry?" He tunred around to see a man with red hair up in a ponytail, tattoes all over him and a white bandana over his forehead.

"R-Renji..." Hichigo knew him very well. He was one of Ichigo's closest friends, and he had introduced him to Hichigo after they had 'become a thing' as Renji liked to put it.

"Ya look like you're in a rush, Shiro." He said, walking up with a small pile of books in his hands. "I'm off to the library to study."

"Y-you too?" Hichigo asked, trying his damned best to keep his cool. No one knew that Ichigo had been kidnapped yet, and him and Ulquiorra wanted it to stay that way. But keeping it from the others was hard, especially if Renji asked about it. He was a lot like Ichigo, reminding Hichigo of two close brothers. "You n-never study."

"And last I checked, neither did you." Renji replied with agrin. "So c'mon, let's hurry on down."

* * *

Ulquiorra didn't want to walk into the old bar. He didn't want to risk seeing Ichigo, seeing whatever the teal haired man had done to him. He cluthced the weel of his car tightly, turning his hands even whiter. _This is practically blood money..._he thought _But if it helps...it helps..._ He had explained to Hichigo everything, about why he had done this. His father was sick in the hospital, and he was willing to do almost anything for the money. Grimmjow had approached him with a job and he took it before he even knew what the job was. _And now I'm regretting it..._May dad will kill me for this... He slowly got out of the car and stepped into the bar. The room was oddly cold and it caused him to shiver under his thick coat.

"'Bout damned time ya got here." He turned to see Grimmjow standing behind him, his bare chest shown and gleaming with sweat.

"S-Sorry I couldn't get here sooner..." He said, doing his best to keep his emotions in check. He heard a soft noise from the room behind the teal head. Grimmjow grinned and walked to the back of the old bar. "And...what of Shiro?"

"What of him? I know he'll come." Grimmjow replied. Ulquiorra didn't like the tone he was using. Grimmjow tossed him a small bundle and grinned. "I kept my promise as ya kept yours. Now go help your poor old daddy." Ulquiorra shuddered as he started waslking away. Curiosity getting the best of him, he decided to ask him the question he knew Grimmjow wanted to hear.

"How...how do you know he'll...he'll come?" He asked. Grimmjow turned with a large grin on his face.

"Because the only person he lives for is here, of course. I will have him then, count on it." Grimmjow replied. As Ulquiorra quickly turned to leave, he could once again hear a soft moaning noise from another room, but this time it sounded like it was in pain. The noise grew louder as he left, and Grimmjow disappered into the same room.

* * *

"Something's up, Shiro." Renji said, peeking his head over one of the books. Shiro was quickly scribbling something onto the newspaper. _Playing Sodoku..._he thought. "So...what is it?"

"What do ya mean? Nothing's wrong." He said, almost too quickly. If there was one thing Hichigo actually had a talent for, it was acting. _That is, acting like a total dick and saying nothing's wrong..._ he told himself. Surprisingly, Renji didn't pry and just went back to reading his book. But the tension in the air still hung thickly.

"Hey, Shiro!" Hichigo looked up to see Ulquiorra running up to him. "C'mon, or were gonna be late. That movie comes on at 8 ya know!"

_Thank you Ulquiorra..._he thought as he sat up and follwed him out.

"I do hope that it's a movie where the hero saves the person in trouble." Both of them froze and turned to look at Renji. He just looked up and smiled. "I like those movies. Even the ones where the 'hero' calls for backup every now and then."

"Oh, I think it's one of those." Hichigo said, grinning. They would get Ichigo back no matter what happened.

* * *

"I'm glad he has no plans of moving where he's staying..." Ulquiorra whispered as Hichigo shut the door to his room. "That'd really suck then."

"You didn't happen...to see Ichigo, did you?" Hichigo asked. Ulquiorra shook his head.

"I wanted to, but that could've attracted too much attention from that crazy bastard, so I decided not to." He said. He refused to mention the strained, pained moans he had heard. He was certain they had belonged to the poor teen. "But we can go later tonight. I have a few things in my car."

"Are you sure there wasn't anyone else there?" Hichigo asked.

"Course there wasn't anyone else there. His policy is usually one hitman or worker at a time. He has what he wants, and that's all." Hichigo nodded and leaned back on his bed. "How did this shit happen? I thought he was outta my life, but he came back and..." Ulquiorra placed a reassuring hand on his knee.

"We'll get the fucker, promise." He said. Hichigo nodded and held one of his arms up, glancing at the bandages. The scars were healed now, but marks would remain.

"Ulquiorra...when we get there, I want ya to-"

"Screw you. I plan on going in with you." He said, causing Hichigo to stumble over himself slightly. The other albino flashed him a rare smile. "You forgot two things; one, he's my friend to. Two; it's because of _me_ that you both are in this mess. I intend to help you clean it up." Hichigo just shook his head. Once Ulquiorra made up his mind, there was no talking him out of it.

"All I was going to say was I wanted you to wait in the car. If I need help, I'll yell, promise." He said. Ulquiorra seemed to think it over for a second before nodding.

"Fine, let's get this show on the road."

* * *

It seemed like an eternity until they were parked across the street from the old bar. "Damn this place needs buisness..." Hichigo grumbled.

"Here, take this." Hichigo turned around to be tossed a small pistol. "It has a few bullets, not much. It's...just in case." Hichigo took it and slid it in a loop on his jeans.

"I'll wave if ther coast is clear, ok? Then you can come along." Hichigo said. Since they had gotten in the car, they had been busy making up a quick and easy plan. Since Ulquiorra was still so adamant to come along, he decided they'll do the whole I'll-Go-First routine. Hichigo slowly got out of the car and walked across the street, fingers on the gun, just in case. When he made it to the old door and saw no one, he waved for Ulquiorra to follow. He scrambled out of the car and ran up to the albino.

"So far, we made it to the front door unnoticed." Ulquiorra whispered, receiving a soft chuckle from Hichigo.

"Nah...I think he knows were here." He replied quietly as he checked the door. Surprisingly, it was unlocked. They quickly and quietly rushed through the door.

"I heard stuff this way." Ulquiorra said as they searched. Hichigo turned to see a door open partially. He walked towards it slowly, unsure if it was a trap or not. "Hey, you can't just-" Ulquiorra followed him briskly, but when the other albino suddenly stopped in the doorway, he bumped into him.

"N...No..." He whispered quietly.

* * *

Ichigo became fuzzily aware of a presence in the room. He wanted to see wh it was, afraid that it was the blue haired teen again, but he was finding it hard to even open his eyes. Every part of his body was in pain. The two figures stood there, looking at him in shock. Wh...who is...

"Ichigo..." Hichigo couldn't believe what he was seeing. Ichigo was completly naked, his wrists bound in tight, leather straps on a bed post, his mouth gagged so tightly that his mouth had dried blood dripping from it from where it cut into the corners of his mouth. Blood and semen was dried up where he sat, evidence of more than one 'go-round', as Grimmjow had always liked putting it. Ichigo's head hung low, some blood matting his usual bright orange hair. Scars were visible everywhere else. Hichigo could barely resist the urge to be sick. "Oh god Ichigo..." Ichigo tried to speak, but the only sound that came was a barely audible moan. The two teens rushed towards him. Ulquiorra pulled out a pocket kinfe and began cutting the leather straps while Hichigo slowly removed the gag.

"Ngh..." Ichigo drew in a soft, shallow breath as the gag was pulled away, leaving new scars in its wake.

"Don't worry Ichigo, we're here for you now..." Hichigo whispered. Ichigo tried to speak, he knew something was wrong, but his mind felt foggy, like he'd been drugged.

"N...no..." His voice was raspy and quiet from not being used. "Tr...tr..." He flinched violently as Ulquiorra removed the cuffs, hissing as he looked at the deep gashes in his wrists.

"He sure put up one hell of a fight..." Ulquiorra commented. Hichigo removed his hoodie and slowly pulled it onto Ichigo, trying to give him some source of warmth.

_He's freezing..._he thought. He lifted Ichigo onto his back and they quickly ran out of the room. As they did, a shot was fired from the darkness. Before Hichigo could even guess what had happened, Ulquiorra collapsed on to the floor. "Ul...Ul..."

"Damn bastard. I had warned him to just take the damned money and be content with it." Hichigo's golden eyes snapped up to where the voice came from. Out from behind the bar stood Grimmjow.

"Gr-Grimmjow..." He stammered, fear trailing up his spine. Grimmjow smirked as he walked towards Hichigo and the barely consious Ichigo.

"And where do ya think you're goin with my fuck toy?" He asked simply. Hichigo could feel his blood boil with anger, but it was quickly dopused out by the cold sting of fear as Grimmjow drew even closer. "Well? Aren't ya gonna answer me?"

"Fuck you...what did you do to Ulquiorra?" He snapped, backing away from the blue haired teen.

"What did it look like, ya dumbass? I shot him..." He held a gun out and aimed it at him. "...and you know I _never_ miss my target, Hichigo Shirosaki." Hichigo backed up even further, clutching Ichigo's legs as he stirred slightly on his back.

"You won't shoot me...I know you won't." He said, trying to sound more confident.

"True...but I'm done with _him_." He then aimed the barrel at Ichigo's head as it rested against Hichigo's shoulder. Hichigo took a quick look at the gun, and then at Ichigo before pulling his small gun out. "Wow, ya finally got some claws it seems!" Grimmjow laughed. Hichigo glanced around, looking for something, anything, that would give him a chance to distract Grimmjow and somehow manage to get him, Ichigo and Ulquiorra out. Luckily, a distraction was created for him. Ulquiorra suddenly got up and lunged onto Grimmjow, startiling the teen and just managing to toss him aside.

"Run now Shiro!" Ulquiorra called. The two of them began to head for the door as two more shots rang out.

"You will never make it back alive, ya know?" Grimmjow laughed. "Ya belong ta me, and I'll take ya with me to hell!" Hichigo ignored them and the man's deranged screams and spun around, firing back in self-defense. He only wanted to scare the teen, but what happened next was unexpected. As he fired the last shot in his gun, it hit something metal and exploded.

_Shit! Gas tank!_ he thought. The explosion sent the three of them flying inot the street as fire began to engulf the building. Ulquiorra let out a wild scream.

"Holy fucking shit, that was epic! Wrong, but epic!" he cried out. Hichigo smiled at the other albino. His shoulder was bleeding from his bullet wound, but other than that, he seemed unfazed.

"C'mon, let's get Ichigo to a hospital." He said slowly, lifting Ichigo bridal style and heading towards Ulquiorra's car. As they all climbed in, Hichigo climbed into the back seat with Ichigo in his arms. He laid him gently down and leaned against the back seat. As they drove, Hichigo felt himself begin to doze off. He hardly even noticed the sharp pain in his chest.

"Hey...ok?" Ulquiorra's voice was getting scattered, as if he was a radio with bad signal. Hichigo just nodded numbly. Ulquiorra did one small turn and stopped, climbing out of the car to check on him.

_I'm fine...I'm ok..._he thought. His mind was begining to fade, everything begining to turn black. The last thing he saw before going under was Ulquiorra's panicked face and his mouth move, but no words would vcome. But to him, it didn't matter.

_Ichigo's safe..._he thought as black claimed his consiousness.

* * *

Chapter 15 end

So? Like it? Hate it? Do tell~! Also, like before, if you read Forbbiden Royalty, check out my poll! It is important!


	16. Chapter 16

Response to reviews~!

Tiana Misoro: I know, right? lol

MidnightTune36: Lol thanks a ton for agreeing with him!

Mellos Mayushi: Thanks! ^_^

Amaya 21: You aren't alone...*dramatic music plays*

Angelchan2012: Well...what do _you_ think?

FeelTheBeat: Yup, great way to describe it!

Sethrine: If you like this, you'd like Protect yuo With My Life as well. It's over, but it was nice!

Aya-ItaLover:...Wow. O.O You were mad! XD

Ok, this is the second to last chappie. The last one may even end up being short. Hell, they both may be. So sorry if they are. *bows* But enough chatter, ok? Onwards ho to Chapter 16!

* * *

Chapter 16

Ichigo felt warm as light seeped into his vision. _"You shouldn't be here, you know..." _He turned around to see Kaien leaning against a tile wall.

"K-Kaien?" he asked softly.

"Who else?" He asked, walking over to where Ichigo laid. "I won't allow this, you know."

"Huh?"

_"I won't allow you to die...not yet. He still needs you." _He whispered, placing a warm hand on Ichigo's forehead. _"You need to wake up. You're friend is calling you..."_ Ichigo could feel the faint echo of someone calling his name, but he ignored it for a moment.

"Wait, is Shiro ok?" He asked Kaien. Kaien turned and gave him a sad smile.

_"You'll need to wake and see for yourself, Ichigo..."_

* * *

When Ichigo blinked, the world lost it's odd glow and his vision was blurry. "Huh...what..."

"Oh my god, you're awake." He turned his aching head slowly to see Ulquiorra sitting next to him, his arm in a sling and stiches running from just below the collar of his t-shirt. "We were worried that you may not get up."

"Ugh...my head hurts..." Ichigo monaed, placing a hand to his forehead.

"You're on a shitload of medication right now. Your body was in shitty shape. You were also dehydrated, not to mention had at least three drugs in your systems. You were a piece of work." Ulquiorra said, almost laughing at the end. "God, I'm glad you're ok."

"What happened?" Ichigo asked, looking at the albino's arm.

"I got shot." Ichigo's eyes widened at that and he laughed. "It's not as bad as it seems. Besides Shiro..." His face then grew worried and Ichigo felt his stomach drop twenty feet.

"What? What happened to Shiro?" Ichigo asked, begining to panic.

"He was shot in the chest. I think the doctor said his artery was ruptured or something...I can't remember. They took him into surgery and he's in the ICU. He's stable, but in critical condition still it seems..." Ulquiorra said quietly. Ichigo felt like he was going to get sick. He felt dizzy as he slowly leaned against his pillow, his vision swimming. "Ichigo?"

"I...I need some more sleep..." He whispered. Ulquiorra nodded and grabbed his hand tightly.

"I'm sorry for all of this...it's my fault." He murmered. Ichigo couldn't hear him, he had already fallen back asleep.

* * *

Ichigo walked down the hospital hallways in his dream, feeling slightly nervous. _This is a dream...isn't it?_ he thought.

_"It could be if you want it to be, Ichigo."_ He turned around to see Kaien again, walking, or more like _gliding_, next to him. _"I hope you don't think it is..."_

"Where are we going?" he asked. Kaien gave him a sad smile.

_"To visit him of course...what else would I be doing with you?"_ Ichigo didn't have to ask who 'him' was.

"Is he...he ok?"

_"He needs you. He isn't sure if you..."_ Kaien didn't need to finish his sentence. _"If you're gone, then he has no reason to live anymore." _He said instead.

"That dumbass..." Ichigo grumbled, causing Kaien to laugh as they approached the ICU.

_"Go on ahead. You can't be seen." _he said, ushering Ichigo to the door. When Ichigo walked in the room, his heart fell. Hichigo was strapped up to a ton of wires, a heart moniter keeping track of his heartbeat. There were stitches on his pale chest like old scars. His breathing soft and almost invisible.

"Oh god...Hichigo..." he whispered, kneeling down next to the hospital bed. "Was it...was it really this bad?"

_"There had been a lot of internal bleeding. Not even he noticed it. Ulquiorra had noticed that he had passed out and felt worried, so he went to check on him, and...well...I think you get it."_ Kaien explained. Ichigo shook his head.

All of this...and after what I did to him...

_"You did nothing. It was Grimmjow, not you. He has already forgiven you. You just need to forgive_ him _as well."_ Kaien smiled. Ichigo gripped his pale hand and brought it to his lips kissing it gently.

"That idiot. I never blamed him for a damned thing..." he sighed. "I forgive you Hichigo...and I love you...please come back to me..." he whispered. Kaien smiled and he walked up behind Ichigo, wrapping one arm gently around his waist. The orange head yawned sleepily in the embrace.

_"I can finally leave you now Ichigo...take care of him for me..."_

"I will...promise..." Kaien smiled as Ichigo collapsed into slumber in his arms. As Kaien felt his body glow, he smiled.

_"Thank you, Ichigo Kurosaki...for everything."_

"You're welcome..."

* * *

Hichigo opened his golden eyes slowly, glancing around his dark room. _Where...where am I?_ he wondered sleepily.

"He's awake!" Someone called from the corner of the room. He turned to see who it was, but his vision was slightly blurry. "C'mon, go get the other kids!"

_Other...other kids?_ he wondered. His mind felt fuzzy, buty he could remember what had happened a few minutes before he fell asleep. Ichigo...where is he?

"Hey there, Shiro." He leaned up slightly, his body screaming in protest, but he ignored its pleas. Ulquiorra was smiling as he looked down on him. "You've been asleep for a long time. People were beginning to wonder if you'd ever..."

"Ichigo..." he whispered. "Is he...?"

"Hey there." He turned to the other side only to be met with lips connecting with his own. When the lips parted from his own, he could see his orange head standing there on crutches, a few bandages and stitches visible on his body. "I'm glad you're up now."

"I-Ichigo...how...where..."

"We're at the hospital." He turned back at Ulquiorra, finally noticing the sling on his arm. "You were shot in the abdomen, hit your artery. They did surgery...but you had lost a ton of blood and you fell into a coma, I guess. You've been asleep for over two weeks." He finished explaning.

"Are you...you ok?"

"I'm fine, we both are. In fact, now that you're awake, they'll do a quick check up on you and then you can go home."

"What about your dad?" Ichigo turned to give Ulquiorra a confused look.

"Dad?"

"He's better, and he also said that he'd pay for your bills. It may have been an emergency, but you know how hospital's run." Ulquiorra shrugged. Hichigo couldn't help but widen his eyes. "What? My dad...he runs a company in town. But when he got sick, the company almost went bankrupt. Now that he's better, he's gonna get back to work, and he agreed to pay for your bills. Both of yours."

"Wait, I feel left out here!" Ichigo complained, not undertsnading what was going on.

"Aww, shut it Ichigo. He'll tell you some other time." Hichigo rolled his eyes, still feeling tired. He wanted to get back to sleep...

"Fine." He then turned to Ulquiorra and whispered something in the albino's ear. A pale eyebrow shot up when Ulquiorra helped Ichigo onto the small hospital bed, moving the other, vacant bed next to his own. Ichigo turned and smiled, curling up next to the albino as the light was shut off and the other teen left the room. "There...everything is as it should be..." he whispered into the albino's ear.

"Yeah...yeah it is..." Hichigo couldn't help but agree as the two slipped off into slumber, warmed by each other's long awaited embrace.

* * *

A week later...

"God, I hate this..." Hichigo grumbled, leaning on a small cane that Ichigo's dad had bought for him. The doctor said that he'd need some kind of support for the next month and a half, so his dad had gone out to buy him a cane. It had blue and orange flames on it, so it was hardly bad looking, but to the albino, it made him feel old.

"Quit your bitching already and deal with it." Ulquiorra grumbled as the three studied in the library. After there last weeks of hell, they were given the oppurtunity to go home, but none of them wanted to, choosing to go back to college instead. "I'm trying to study."

"I keep getting stared at because of this damned thing!" He growled, tossing a thick Webster's Dictionary onto the table. Ichigo looked up from his personel copy of Dante's Inferno and rolled his eyes.

"Knowing you, you'll end up beating the shit outta them with it sooner or later."

"Or I could use it for...other means." Ichigo's face turned read and Ulquiorra cracked up laughing as Hichigo grinned mischeviously.

"K-keep your thoughts to yourself, we're in a libary!" Ichigo hissed under his breath.

"Oh, but they aren't just my thoughts, are they?" Hichigo leaned in close to Ichigo, giving him a long, breath taking kiss. Ulquiorra just rolled his eyes and turned back to his text book.

"Hey, Shiro!" Hichigo looked up to see Renji ccarrying mail.

"You're late again..." All three of them mumbled. After they had come back, Renji had included himself in their study group at college.

"Sorry, but the mail was dropped off, and since my room isn't far from you guys, I thought about bringing it." He explained. He handed Hichigo an envelope. "It's for you." Confused, Hichigo took the envelope and opened it. A small letter was inside, including a tiny photograph that fell onto the floor. Ichigo picked it up and stared at it. It had three people on it; two adults and one child. All of them were grinning happily. The man was tall and lean, glasses on his face and golden eyes. The woman had long, flowing blonde hair with deep brown eyes. The child stood out, a small albino with white, snowy hair. His grin was so wide that his eyes were shut, but Ichigo knew all too well who it was.

"No...why now?" He looked up to see Hichigo staring at the letter, his eyes swimming with different emotions.

"What is it ?" Ulquiorra asked.

"It's a letter...from my mother..." he responded quietly.

* * *

Chapter 16 end

I felt like I needed to have Kaien in here for one, final time! Hope nobody minded! Well, the next chappie will be the last one, so I do hope y'all are excited~! Ok, reviews are welcome, and flames will be used to burn my Christmas coal! XP


	17. Chapter 17

Response to reviews~!

FeelTheBeat: Lol...boo. XD

miszxbrii: The beauty of Fanfiction is giving emotionless bastards a feeling or two! Lol I actually like Ulquiorra, but still! XD

Tiana Misoro: And I know you'll do it too...O.O

Angelchan2012: Hmm...you shall find out! XD

Cerulean-Guava: Lol You remembered before I had to explain. XD

Strawberry-Ringo: Yup...last one.

Mellos Mayushi: Omfg I have converted someone to this awesome pairing! You should read all the ones I have faved~! XD

alliefan: Why thankee! XD

ZoeyExtreme: Yippe! Glad you like~!

Kobato0: Yup! ^_^

Alright guys and girls. Last chapter of Falling Inside Myself. This is one of my shorter fics I've noticed, but I'm glad every one of you have read this story! It really makes my day, seeing and reading all the reviews! Even more fun responding to them! *bows* Well, shall we get this final chappie rolling then? Onward ho!

* * *

Chapter 17

Hichigo sat in the empty library, once again staring at the letter in his hands. _After all these years..._He thought as he read it again.

**_Hichigo..._**

**_I know that getting this letter may be a shock to you, but I need to see you. I saw what happened on T.V and...well, that isn't the only reason. There are so many things I need to say, but my time is now short. Please...please come home, if only just this one, last time. Also...I want to meet your boyfriend. I promise I won't be rude or anything...not like before._**

**_Mom_**

_Why...why does she want to see me now? Just to insult me further?_ he wondered, his golden eyes beggining to droop. Befoe he could make an effort back to his dorm, he fell asleep at the small reading table.

* * *

Ichigo walked into the library to see Hichigo sleeping at their reading table, his hand loosely holding onto the letter. He sighed and shook his head, a soft smile on his face. "You can't sleep out here." He whispered as he walked over, lifting Hichigo up, pleased to se that he was only half asleep as he limped slowly alongside him.

Ichigo placed one hand on the teen's back to help him walk, holding his cane with the other hand. When they finally made it to their dorm, Ichigo removed his shoes and t-shirt and laid him down on his bed. He then grabbed his own and placed it next to Hichigo's making sure the small gap was as nonexistent as he could. Sighing, he removed his own shoes and t-shirt and curled up into his bed, nestling next to the albino. _I'm right here..._he thought as he wrapped one hand around Hichigo's waist. _Good night Shiro..._

_

* * *

_

"Well? Are we going or not?" Ichigo asked the next morning. Hichigo looked up from his bowel of Apple Jacks.

"What do ya mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean Shiro. Are we gonna see your mom or not?" Ichigo watched as Hichigo tensed in his seat just as Renji and Ulquiorra joined them.

"I...I'm not sure, Ichigo. I mean, last time I went...she just..."

"Hey, the letter said she wanted ta meet Ichigo too, ya know." Renji said as he sat down, a small Chocolate Chip muffin in his hand. "So maybe something's up, and she really does need to speak to you.

"The last time she said similar stuff, and what happened? She called the cops on me and Kaien. We had to explain and show the letter, but we still spent the night in prison for tresspassing." Hichigo hissed, glaring at his spoon in hopes to obliterate it. "That woman can hardly be called my mother."

"Well, we should see her anyways. And Renji and I can wait in the car for you guys, just in case something happens, ok?" Ulquiorra suggested, taking a bite out of his blueberry muffin. Hichigo sighed. There would be no winning this argument. Ichigo placed a soft hand on his pale white ones.

"It'll be ok Shiro...promise. Besides, if she tries to insult me, I'll do the same back." Ichigo said, smiling. Hichigo looked at his friends, and then at his boyfriend and shook his head.

"You guys aren't going to let me avoid this, are ya?"

"No." All three of them said at once. Hichigo laughed and sighed.

"Fine...we'll go tomorrow." he said, taking another spoonful of cereal into his mouth. Ichigo smiled and kissed Hichigo's cheek lightly.

"It'll be ok." He said reassuringly.

You only wish it would be...the albino thought to himself.

* * *

The next day...(forgive odd time skip. XD)

Ulquiorra's car drove up a long driveway out in the countryside. "You used to live all the way out _here_?" Renji asked.

"Yeah. My family own's a horse ranch." Hichigo explained.

"I used to go out on trips with my mom and dad. We always rode horses when we went." Ichigo said, looking out into the countryside. The place was covered with a light fog, adding a rather tense, yet at the same time refreshing look to the place.

"We're he-oh my..." All of them turned to see what Ulquiorra was pausing for, just an ambulence in the driveway, with doctors walking back to the vehicle. As the car stopped, Ichigo and Hichigo rushed out.

"Hey! What's going on here?" Hichigo asked. One of the doctors turned and they both froze.

"U-Uryu?"

"Ichigo? Shiro? What are you..." The thin teen then widened his eyes. "Wait...Shiro, this is your mom's house, ain't it?" Hichigo nodded. "Well...she was waiting for you. She refuses to listen to us until she chats with you, and we can't wait all day. Please, go talk to her so we can...move her."

"Move her?" Ichigo asked, feeling Hichigo grow tense. "To where?"

"The hospital." Uryu said with a small sense of finality. Not getting anything else from him, they both made their way into the house. Ichigo looked around the inside, not finding a single picture on the walls.

Kinda dreary...he thought.

"Hello?" Ichigo turned to see Hichigo walking slowly around, as if the place would attack him at any moment.

"Hichigo? Is it you?" A quiet, weak voice called from one of the rooms. Ichigo turned to see Hichigo freeze, and he placed a soft, reassuring hand on the albino's shoulder.

"It'll be fine." He whispered. Hichigo swalloed the lump in his throat and walked towards a small bedroom. Ichigo followed, only to stop at the doorway. The room was warm, compared to the rest of the house, which was freezing. A few pictures were here and there, and then there was a large bed in the middle of the room. A frail looking woman lay in it, soft, golden eyes looking at the two of them weakly. Thjis is...Shiro's mom? he wondered.

"M-Mom?" Hichigo whispered, walking closer, the cane he was using making soft, tapping noises on the floor.

"Oh, my little Hichigo...please come closer. I...I'm afraid I can't see as well anymore." She whispered, reaching out a frail, shaking hand. Hichigo walked over very slowly, grabbing her hand and shivering at how cool it felt. He got down on his knees so he could be a little closer. She took her hand from his and began to run it through his hair. "Your hair...it's still as soft as ever it seems."

"Mom...why do you want me here? Of all the times you've rejected me, I-"

"Please, please listen Hichigo." His mother sounded like she was about to cry. "This is all my fault. If I could have, I would have taken you right back after I threw you out. I was just scared...scared that I had lost my little son." She then looked up, finally seeing Ichigo. "This is...your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, my name's Ichigo Kurosaki ma'am." Ichigo replied, trying not to sound nervous. The woman nodded and looked at Hichigo.

"May I speak with him in private, please Hichigo?" She asked. Hichigo stiffened and turned to his boyfriend, who merely nodded. Sighing, Hichigo slowly rose to his feet, with a little help from Ichigo, and left the room. He then knelt down next to the sick woman.

"Why do you want to talk to me?" he asked.

* * *

The woman looked into his brown eyes and sighed. "I'm dying. I...I wanted to tell him months ago, but back then, Grimmjow was still breathing." Ichigo wanted to laugh at her annoyed tone.

_So_ that's _where Shiro gets it from..._he thought. "Wait...what did that have to do with anything."

"Grimmjow was always over possesive, even when they were kids. But now...he threatened to kill Hichigo if I accepted him back to the house. That's why he had Kaien killed. He even forced his family to say those evil things on T.V. They have a young daughter and son as well as Kaien, and they didn't want them to get hurt so..." She let out a loud cough, trying to calm herself down again. "He was willing to do anything to keep my son to himself."

"So...so you didn't want to kick him out?" Ichigo asked. Hichigo's mom shook her head.

"I didn't...but at the time, I still blamed my son for the death of his father. It wasn't his fault...but back then, things were different." She closed her eyes and sighed. "You've been taking good care of my son. I thank you for that."

"He didn't want my help at first."

"But I'm greatful all the same." She let out another cough and Hichigo came back in, looking at her nervously. "And as usual, you eavesdropped, correct?"

"Sorry, but I haven't seen you in almost seven years." He said quietly. She just sighed and looked out the small window, the two doctors waiting by the ambulence.

"Ichigo...get them and tell them I'm ready to go." Ichigo nodded and left the room, once again leaving mother and son alone. "Hichigo...I want to ask you something."

"What?"

"Do you...do you want possesion of the ranch?" Hichigo stared at his mother, unsure of what to say. "You used to love being with the horses...I just figured that, since right now you technically live on campus, that you may want a place of your own. And since I'm not going to be here much longer-"

"Don't say that Mom." Hichigo clutched his cane tightly, not wanting to listen. He knew she was dying; but he didn't want the last member of his family to leave him. She could tell what he was thinking and smirked.

"Oh my Hichigo. You're family is bigger now. Ichigo, and your friends, are your true family. I lost the right to be your mother long ago." she said. "So do not feel sad for me." Hichigo relaxed slightly and looked at her, his golden and lack eyes filled with tears.

"No...you're still my Mom." He whispered. "And...yes, I'll take the ranch when...when..." He looked back at the ground.

"Hichigo...forgive me...please." She said quietly, coughing afterwords. The doctors came in, followed by Ichigo and lifted the frail woman on a streatcher. As they carried her outside, Hichigo grabbed her hand briefly and simply nodded, bringing a warm smile to her face.

* * *

As the two boys watched the ambulence drive down the long driveway, Ichigo sighed and looked around. "It really _is_ a nice place." He said.

"Yeah...it is." Hichigo nodded. He turned to look at Ichigo. "Look, if I move out here, would you...I mean, are you intrested in-" He wqas cut off by a quick, loving kiss from Ichigo. After staying like that for a few moments, Ichigo pulled back and grinned.

"I'd love to move out here and be with you. I can't think of a better idea."

"We can study biology abroad as it were." Hichigo joked, and they both laughed as they headed back to the car. Before he climbed in, Hichigo gave the house one last look. _I guess it really is never to late to forgive..._he thought. _And it definatly isn't too late to start over._

* * *

Fin

Huzah! It's over! I'm so glad that this is finally finished. I love finishing stories, but I also miss then coming back to work on them. DX Ah well. Your final reviews are much appreciated. Well, I shall see you guys in another story! Over and out~!

Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo

PS. For those interested, I started a new fic. Love,Blood and Roses. If you is interested, check it out! Also, those that read Unexpected Existence, go check my poll!


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